On Nauru?

What Is Wrong

Morale of Native Constabulary

Letter to the Editor.

THE statement in the “Pacific Islands Monthly", that Commander Garsia has retired from the post of Admin istrator because Australia refuses to support him in his wish to provide pro tection for the Europeans against a pos sible uprising by the Chinese, is ridicu lous on the face of it. It also reflects quite unfairly upon that fine body of men, the Nauruan Native Constabulary.

As one who knows Nauru and the con ditions intimately, I can tell you that the trouble is different from that stated, and goes far deeper.

Ask why two of the most skilled and highly-respected public servants in Nauru have been forced out; and why the na tive chiefs have begged Canberra for the temporary appointment, as Adminis trator. of General Griffiths. (General Griffiths is a former Administrator, whom they loved and trusted).

Any supposed fear of the inoffensive, law-abiding, Chinese coolies, so well cared for and controlled by the British Phosphate Commission, is incomprehen sible. Were this the reason of the re tirement of Commander Garsia it could only mean that he has lost faith in a hitherto proud police force, which has proved itself over and over again, dur ing previous administrations—a police force not without tradition and which, during the term of Administrator W. A.

Newman, with the greatest bravery, quelled a “Tong” riot among these Chinese coolies. Such an admission on the part of Commander Garsia would cast such an unfavourable light on his own methods of administration that one is loth to believe It.

The 44 police who comprise the "Nau ruan Armed Constabulary, with their strong reserves of men and arms (in cluding machine guns) is more than suf ficient to police effectually the small communitv on Nauru, even allowing for the well-disciplined 1.200 Chinese cool ies.

Their skill in the use of these arms, however, mieht reasonably be question ed. That could be easily rectified bv a reversion to the rifle shooting practice, encouraged by Administrators Griffiths and Newman, but not indulged in un der Commander Garsia.

The recent introduction of about a dozen police-boys from the Ellice Islands, contrary to the wishes of the Nauruan Chiefs and the Nauruan people, cer tainly suggests a marked loss in the morale of the police force of Nauru.

Such an insidious suggestion as the ne cessity for arming Europeans, after

about 17 years of Australian control and direction, is not calculated to improve it.

Should this be so, and if Australia’s undertaking to the League of Nations is more than cant and hypocrisy, the obvious course to pursue would be to ob tain the services of a man, such as those who direct the fine native police of New Guinea and Papua, to restore the Nau ruan Constabulary to the proud position it once occupied. Then we would hear no more of such suggestions as that attributed to Commander Garsia; and which, if made, the Commonwealth Gov ernment has very rightly turned down.

I am, etc.,

Nauruan.

Melbourne, August 23. 1938.