Europeans Have "Lost

Face "

Our Responsibilities to Native Races of Pacific

rE health defence of the Pacific Islands were discussed in an address to members of the Pacific Islands Society, in July, by Major-General F. A.

Maguire, of the Australian Medical Ser vice. The following is a summary.

The Pacific Islands, extending over the greater part of the Pacific Ocean, include lands in both the temperate zone and the tropics, and all the big land masses which lie east and south-east of Asia.

It should be the main aim of the white races to preserve the native races in their original state, but to give them the full advantages of modern education and hygiene. These advantages cannot be conferred in a year or two; but by a well planned system of education extend ing over three or four generations, the natives may be brought to higher living standards without disturbing their own natural conditions.

It is essential that first-class aero dromes and sea-plane bases should be developed in every group and ultimately in every island of any size, so that full and free communication may be main tained between the various groups and the continents of Australia, Asia, and America. This will form a basis of defence, as well as give normal channels for trade.

The problems facing the Administra tors of these Islands are well summed up in the advice Kipling gave to the daugh ter nations of the British Empire, when he said that their problems ran along the five points of fellowship—namely, education, immigration, irrigation, trans portation and administration.

The health of the inhabitants is safe guarded by the progress made in mod ern medicine and sanitation. Many of the acute infectious diseases which have swept over them in the past are now under medical control. Quarantine is still a very important problem, particu larly as it is associated with the cutting down of the time factor in travel. Where yellow fever developed in 14 days, while the person was on ship-board, between two large countries, now the same dis tance is covered in a few hours by aeroplane. Carriers of acute infectious diseases can be mingling with the popu lation of other countries within a day or two of receiving their initial infection.

These are problems of quarantine to which the Government authorities are giving the closest attention.

The work done by the Rockefeller Institute of America, in investigating diseases indigenous to the Islands, has been of the greatest value. Medical orderlies from the native groups are being trained and this will give the native population greater confidence in themselves and in the medical adminis tration.

The people of the white races must realise they have lost a very great deal of “face” amongst the people of the Asiatic and other groups. They can only regain this by giving the very best that they have in the service of these groups, and maintaining a high standard of organisation and administration, educa tion and discipline, both among them selves and those native groups which Providence has placed in their care.

The death occurred recently in New Caledonia of Madame Eugenie Charles, aged 79 years.