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Letter to Admiral Patey from Dr. Haber, opened by Colonel Watson on the road three miles from Toma.  Colonel considered its terms unsatisfactory and forwarded a demand by Dr. Haber's A.D.C. for the surrender of himself and officials.

Baining, September, 1914.

Your Excellency,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of the note of 12th September.
The seat of Government has not been in Herbertshohe since 1909 but in Rabaul.  By proclamation of August the 6th this year, in consideration of the state war, the Government has ben removed from Rabaul to Toma.  This proclamation has been posted up and printed in a special edition of the district paper this very day.  The military operations have in the meantime made it necessary to remove the Government to Baining.

The note from your Excellency of the 11th September was conveyed to me by telephone message by the Deputy Station master in Hebertshohe at 8:59 and reached me at 11:15. My answer was sent at 12:15 by mounted messenger.  With the note of the 11th September came the enclosure to which your Excellency an answer by 3:30 the same day.

A good while before the arrival of your Excellency's note of the 11th September it became known to me by chance that the electric machine of the provisional Wireless Station in Bitapaka was shut down.

Your Excellency had to be convinced that the town of Rabaul and Herbertshohe, also their signals were in reality undefended.  The note, which is in your Excellency's hands, can only be, as far as I may presume, a scheme of defence for the armed force.  The named division had strict instructions to only give armed resistance when attacks were outside of the said places.  The establishment of mines in the vicinity of Bitapaka, where the provisional Wireless Station was, is no contradiction to my explanation that the place of Herbertshohe and its signals were undefended.

The road which lead from Bitapaka to Herbertshohe, reaches only Herbertshohe by a distance of more than 13 Kilometre.  The meaning of your Excellency might lie in a misunderstanding of the term "Weichbild", the whole of the territory of the houses, yards, and gardens of a political district or a district court, which are named after the place, have nothing to do with the term "Weichbild"
Moreover I may point out, that the engagements of 11th September were finished a good while to my knowledge, before my explanation could have arrived in you Excellency's hands.  Because of the regulations of the administration in the territory occupied by your Troops, I have already had the honour to make a proposal to Colonel Holmes.
I also take this opportunity, to assure your Excellency of the great estimation with which I have the honour to be 

Your Excellency's Devoted Servant
Haber, Deputy Governor,
German-New-Guinea.

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