Condition.

Mr. Green And Tonga’S

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Dissent from the views and conclu sions expressed by Mr. Green anent Tonga’s well-being—based upon a brief sojourn in Nu kualofa —is in no sense a reflection upon that gentleman’s status as journalist, writer and publicist. It his ability “to grasp the essen tials of such a place and life as that in Tonga” by a stay in Nukualofa which is questioned.

It is a truism that an American can grasp the essentials of England or Australia in a hurried visit, aided by a guide book, quite sufficiently to write not merely an article but a whole volume; but the brief sojourner in Nukualofa can only know Nukualofa and its environs. He will learn nothing of that large outlying portion where the only evidence of “natural well being” is a policeman and a gaol.

The inability of Mr. Green to draw logical deductions from observation is shown in the following: “Government of Tonga, the form which ought to prevail in every island group of the Pacific, from Hawaii to Tahiti.” I have lived in Tonga more years than Mr. Green spent days, and in my opinion the form of Govern merit in Tonga is the veriest travesty of self government ever foisted upon a small and de fenceless people.

When Mr. Green postulates that “Polynesians’ well being does not rest upon economic condi tions . . . and that in many of the Islands . . . the natives are better off" for the reason briefly that their earnings under present con ditions only suffice to pay the salaries of the over-staffed and very expensive public service which in Tonga we forced upon them along with the form of Government,” which Mr Green finds so praiseworthy, “are now return ing to their older and simpler way of living” and are better physically and happier, quite as in the days before the European race had contaminated them.”

Mr. Green has excelled himself in this fourth paragraph of his letter. I wonder how he would like to be driven back to the Wattleand-wood lack of civilised amenities? Mr.

Green might also tell us whether, when the Tongan has returned to this quite Edenic para

dise, he will still be required to carry this an nual burden of £49,000 worth of Officialdom on his back? Why, even, 'the thoughtful and un selflsh leadership of the Premier” will scarcely be necessary when the Tongan gets back to nature and happiness. He is far from being happy to-day.

Quite recently a distinguished British Peer asked respecting the riots in Cyprus, “Where is Cyprus?” and ‘What are we there for?” This last question is quite relevant to our subject and I put it to Mr. Green, “What are we here for?” Is the summum bonum of a hundred or

more years of civilising effort on the part of the missionary, the administrator and the trader, fairly and honestly deserving the op probrious epithet “Contamination,” especially from—vide Editor’s foot note—a “Travelled In ternational Journalist.” One can only fall back upon the dialectic phrase “tu quoque.” Mr.

Green in his letter achieves an anti-climax. If he is satisfied with the achievement, I gladly leave him in full enjoyment of it.

I am, etc.,

A. Cowley.

Nukualofa, June 19.