The Solomons Case

Residents of Group Seething With Anger

Confidential information to hand from the British Solomon Islands is of a dis turbing character.

It may be said at once that, if the Ad ministration there does not alter its policy of “molly-coddling” natives, and afford greater protection to white residents, there is a danger that the latter will take the law into their own hands and deal themselves in an adequate manner with native criminals.

In a previous issue we referred to the inadequacy of punishment imposed on natives. It is not necessary to recapitu late those circumstances; but we may remind readers that a native house-ser vant who brutally and indecently as saulted the young wife of a Government official in Tulagi, was sentenced to—five years’ imprisonment!

We have said before, and we repeat, that nothing less than the death penalty is a fitting punishment for those Melan esian natives who commit this class of crime.

In recent weeks, there has been a de velopment which has greatly stirred the European residents of the Solomons. The following is a summary of the official

evidence given at the subsequent trial of the native concerned.

On September 26, 1933, the young wife of a plantation-owner was walking from the back verandah of her bungalow to the kitchen. A cook “boy” a Solomon islands native —suddenly sprang behind her, pulled her down on to her back and tore her underclothes. He lay on top of her and acted as if he were in a frenzy.

The terrified young woman fought the native with great courage. Her body was bruised and her hands and wrists lacerated. The struggle continued for some time; and then the foiled brute relaxed and the young woman fought him off and got on to her feet. He seized her again but she managed to break away and ran out into the plantation, with the boy in pursuit of her, Then the boy gave up the chase, went to the water-front, took a canoe and paddled over to a small island. The plantation owner was sent for and as soon as he returned he sent laborers over to the island to bring the boy back.

The boy came back armed with a copra-knife which he had taken from a copra-cutter. When the planter went down to the wharf the boy met him in a threatening attitude, with the knife raised above his head and defying the planter to come near him. The planter ordered his laborers to take the knife from him; and, after a fierce struggle, this was done.

The native was placed under arrest, and was tried before the District Officer at Gizo, on October 2. He convicted himself, on his own evidence.

The case was then held up, from October until November 29, when the Court sat again and sentenced the boy to five years’ imprisonment. It was generally understood that the delay occurred because the Officials concerned had referred the case to Suva, so that permission might be obtained to impose a sentence including flogging. If so, the officials were disappointed, because the sentence does not include flogging.

The boy spent two months in the Gizo calaboose, where, judging by his appearance, he came to no harm. His demeanor

in the Court on November 29 was cocky and self-assured.

The young wife concerned is a woman of delicate upbringing and is the daughter titled residents of Australia. She is held in the highest respect and esteem in the Solomons. As a result of her dreadful experience, she had to remain for some time in bed, suffering from shock, and since has had to be sent away from the Solomon islands to Australia, in the hope that she may be restored to normal health.

It is difficult to discuss this matter in calm language. The sentence of five years' gaol imposed on the boy is not sufficient punishment, even to fit the crime of threatening his master with a copra knife. To suggest that it is adequate punishment for the ghastly assault upon the planter’s wife is to suggest something that is utterly ridiculous, It is hard to accept the fact that the responsible officials in the Solomon Islands, or the equally responsible High Commissioner for the Pacific at Suva, have permitted such a state of affairs.

There is no circumstance that we know of which has been brought forward to mitigate the native’s crime. He has been let off practically without punishment. A period the calaboose, even with hard labor is no punishment to the average kanaka.

If punishment that has been imposed represents the limit of the law which the officials concerned are pemitted to administer, then it is obviously a foolish and dangerous law, and the officials should say so, and tell the residents that they are seeking a better law, and thus give the white women of the Group some reassurance of safety, In the last mail from the Solomon Islands we received letters from five dif ferent residents of that Group, each re ferring to the case described above, and each criticising the law and the Administration in very strong language. It is clear that the Solomon Islands Adminis tration is held now in detestation and contempt by the residents; and it is not surprising to know that a concerted move is being made to place certain strong re presentations before the Colonial Office authorities in London.