Attack On Larkin Brings

Protest From N.G.

In the February issue of the P.I.M. we published a letter regarding the Larkin case from a correspondent in Sydney who signed himself “N.G. Planter.” In this letter the writer stated that James Larkin, whose case is well-known to all residents of Melanesia, had a bad record. He contented that the sentence of ten years' hard labour was fully justified.

By the last New Guinea mail we received numerous letters protesting against what one correspondent called “ the vindictive and malicious inaccuracies of one who had probably never been in the Islands.” We publish below three letters typical of others we received.

Letter to the Editor

Your correspondent who signed himself “N.G. Planter of Sydney” writes suspiciously like a member of the genus that W. Lucas, of B.P. and Expro. Board fame termed “Balmain Bushmen," or “Pitt Street Planters.” Even if “N.G.

Planter” has ever been in the Islands, by his letter he has admitted that he has never handled natives.

He believes “there was one occasion when Larkin very narrowly escaped a severe sentence at the hands of a respon sible D.O.” It is quite safe and very game to publish one’s belief of a man when it is utterly impossible for the said man to reply or even attempt to defend himself. Jim Larkin is considered to be one of the few white men who kept Manus safe for whites, and in this no D.O., responsible or otherwise, is included.

More white men have been murdered and murderously attacked in Manus than in any other district, although it is the smallest. Among the more recent crimes, a German was hacked to pieces in cold blood, his murderers were executed owing to the crime happening in the days of the Military Occupation. The lads lacked foresight; had they delayed the attack a little they could have escaped comfortably.

I have had sixteen years’ experience here, and in the opinion of old-timers Jim Larkin is a martyr to the old regime, when every native was right and every white man wrong, except, of course Govt officials.

“N.G. Planter” mentions Jim Larkin’s record. Does he realise that every headmaster of every school in the world had a worse “record”? Two open-handed smacks given to insolent natives consti tute a “record” in New Guinea. If “N.G.

Planter” has a child and has trained that child in the way it should be he has an infinitely worse “record” than Jim Lar kin had prior to his last conviction.

I can only repeat my doubt whether

“N.G. Planter of Sydney” has ever seen New Guinea.

I am, etc.,

N.G. Planter Of New Guinea.

N. Guinea, 24/3/’34.

Unreliable Native Evidence

Letter to the Editor I HAVE lived many years in New Guinea, and think I understand the native mind as well or as little as any white man can. I wish to state that the most vital point in the Larkin case has been completely lost sight of, that is, his conviction upon native evidence.

Recently such a glaring case of the ab solute untrustworthiness of such evidence came to light that I feel it my duty to air same. I am aware that in the Larkin case a white medical assistant’s evidence was accepted, but his evidence was not of the actual occurrence. In support of my contention of the utter unreliability and danger of accepting native evidence I will quote two recent happenings that can be proved to the hilt, and there have been dozens of similar occurrences. 1. An anthropologist of world renown, innocent of any crime, had a narrow es cape from having to face a charge of murder. At an inquiry into the death of a native, held by a D.O., natives gave evidence to the effect that the anthro pologist was responsible for the boy’s death. With other natives ready to cor roborate the native’s evidence, there was every chance of the anthropologist “going along,” perhaps aloft also.

Luckily for him, the anthropologist knew the natives’ language, and with this to aid him, forced the natives to admit they were lying. When asked by him why they lied on such a grave charge, they replied, “We thought the D.O. wanted us to say it.” But for his know ledge of languages we may have had the spectacle of a noted and perfectly inno cent scientist joining James Larkin in gaol. Unfortunately in most cases the

natives think the D.O. or Judge “wants them to say so.” 2. I attended a trial in Rabaul recently when a white man was charged with assaulting a D.O., for which he could have received a long term of imprison ment. The D.O. in his evidence under oath, stated that the defendant struck him with a very light back-handed slap in the face, like a contemptuous flick, not hard enough to hurt a child.

A trusted native police sergeant and a native Chief, also under oath, when asked how the blow was given, stated in identi cal words, and with identical gestures, il lustrated in court, how the defendant brutally punched the D.O. in the face whilst he was seated, smashing in his face, knocking him on his back with blood flying everywhere.

No voice was raised at these well rehearsed lies. At the conclusion of the trial an official was approached regard ing the natives perjury and he replied airily, “Oh well, they both belong to the Government, you know, and thought they were doing the D.O. a good turn.”

On the evidence of native witnesses, James Larkin, one of the whitest men who ever served on the Western Front or settled in the Western Islands, is serv ing ten years’ imprisonment in N.S.W.

It is not realised that a lone white man managing a big gang of natives is ab solutely at the mercy of their massed perjury and conspiracy, particularly if the natives have an idea that their master is not popular with the Government and that if they thought the D.O. “wanted them to say so.”

British justice demands an immediate review of the Larkin Case.

I am etc.,

New Guinea,

Namanula.

26/3/’34.