Nauru

Administrator's Sharp Disagree ment With Australia

ALTHOUGH the full circumstances are a closely-guarded secret, it is under stood that the Administrator of the Mandated Territory of Nauru, Comman der R C. Garsia, formerly of the Royal Australian Navy, who will retire shortly, will relinquish the post because of a sharp disagreement with the Common wealth Government (says N.Z. “Herald” of June 17).

Commander Garsia’s retirement is said to arise from his concern because

the Government refused to accept his view of the danger to which the small British community on the island, which lies on the equator to the north-west of New Guinea, would be exposed in the event of an international emergency.

Commander Garsia sent several reports to the Government emphasising the dan ger in the isolated and unprotected situ ation of the British community of 194 persons, including 100 women and child ren. The Commonwealth refused seri ously to consider certain recommenda tions by Commander Garsia for evacu ating the white women and children of Australia or to New Zealand in an emerg ency.

EDITORIAL NOTE: We have been informed that the differences between Commander Garsia and Canberra went farther and deeper than is indicated above. In any event, Commander Gar sia will have learned by now that the average Australian Minister’s knowledge of the Pacific territories he is supposed to govern is less than that of an indiffer ent schoolboy. On the one occasion that Australia obtained the services of a Min ister who did know something about the territories he was controlling, the inter ests on whose corns he trod dug him out of office in quick time.

Mr. John Goepel, a District Commis sioner in Fiji, who arrived in the Colony as a cadet in 1928, has been appointed a Political Agent in Aden, Arabia.

Commander R. Garsia, Administrator of the Mandated Territory of Nauru.