1,500 Coolies And

200 Whites Why Administrator Of Nauru Retired

rFHERE has been much speculation as to the character of the recent disagreement between the Adminis trator of the Mandated Territory of Nauru and the Commonwealth Gov ernment, but no official explanation has been forthcoming.

We are informed by a visitor who has just returned from the island that the discord had its origin in the fact that Commander R. C. Garsia, a trained naval man, was concerned for the safety of the white community there. He took the view that the 200 Europeans on Nauru should be pro vided with sufficient arms and am munition to cope, if necessary, with any possible emergency arising from a disturbance by the 1,500 Chinese in dentured coolies engaged in the phos phate industry.

The Commonwealth authorities, viewing the situation from Canberra, replied that such a precaution seemed unnecessary, and that, in any case, Nauru under the terms of the Man date could not be fortified. The Ad ministrator’s retort was that the act of supplying firearms to responsible white residents, and instructing them in the use of same for their own de fence, could hardly be classed as “fortifying Mandated Territory”. But the Commonwealth Government maintained its attitude.

Thereupon (according to our in formant), Commander Garsia, being a man of some spirit, apparently de cided that he would rather relinquish the post than remain at Nauru and be fettered by the red tape of Can berra