Two Tragedies of Papua

Letter to the Editor AS Mr. Hunter has made some com ment (March “PIM”) upon my let ter (February “PIM") may I again enter the discussion?

Mr. Hunter completely ignores the opinion of Sir Hubert Murray as appar ently of no account, yet sets consider able value upon the diary of a junior officer who neither had the opportunity nor. possibly, the ability, to arrive at any authentic conclusion. I knew Mr. John MacDonald very well. Further, he appears to set some considerable value upon inclusion in this “punitive expedi tion” when he, at least, should know that it could not bestow any direct knowledge of the actual tragedy or what led up to it. No member of the party, from the Governor downward, had an opportunity to investigate the circum stances surrounding the killing—the only contact they made with the Goaribari natives was over the sights of their rifles.

But your correspondent goes further and, while placing such great reliance upon the “official” story and the account of a man who was not present, ignores the account of a man who was present when Chalmers and his party landed— the Captain of the “Niue.”

Regarding the actual killing, what Mr.

Hunter appears to forget is that nothing conclusive is known, and probably never will be known, and therefore it is a matter of probabilities. Sir Hubert Mur ray stresses this point, for he says that “what actually happened and how the murders were perpetrated will never be known for certain”; and then he advances what he calls “a generally accepted theory,” and it was this theory I quoted. The weight of evidence is that the natives did not induce Tamate to land, but that he, himself, insisted, against all advice, in landing.

However, Sir Hubert had all this earlier evidence that Mr. Hunter men tions, and the additional evidence accu mulated in later years, open to him, and drew a different picture, and Sir Hubert was, by his legal training and unsurpassed knowledge of things Papuan, far better qualified than Governor Le Hunte to acquaint himself with and sift such evidence. He did this and recorded his opinion, and I quoted it.

This, as said before, Mr. Hunter com pletely ignores.

I notice that “Wakilobo” (March “PIM”) also is not altogether in agree ment with Mr. Hunter’s account, and supports that given by me on the authority of Sir Hubert Murray’s re corded opinion and my own recollection.

I may add that I knew all the persons mentioned by Mr. Hunter (the Rev.

Downey should be “Dauncey”) and cer tainly was in Port Moresby at the time, and can speak from first-hand know ledge of the men concerned, and had open to me all accounts current at the time. Mr. Hunter, on the other hand, certainly was not in Port Moresby at the time, nor did he have any personal or direct contact with or knowledge of the men and the times. Actually, I never met Chalmers, but I did meet Tomkins, and I heard his last sermon, preached in the Ela Protestant Church at Port Moresby. As for inclusion in the “puni tive expedition,” I was too young at the time (19 years) even had I been willing to take part in such a foolish and un necessary undertaking. It is on the credit side of Sir Hubert Murray’s period of administration that he never would l#nd himself to any expeditions of this

nature —they were directly contrary to his whole policy.

Mr. Hunter might note that the “Niue” was not a steamer, as claimed by him, and Kemere was not taken prisoner at Dopima.

I am, etc.,

J. T. Bensted.

Sydney, 11/4/1943.

Sir Philip Mitchell, Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner of the Western Pacific, recently paid his third visit to Noumea, where he met his old friend, Henri Montchamp, Governor of New Caledonia.

M. Bayardelle, former Secretary Gen eral in New Caledonia, has been appointed Governor at Jibouti, where his first act was to return to the inhabitants all their wireless sets which the Vichy rulers had taken possession of two years ago. In September, 1940, Vichy offered M. Bay ardelle the Governship of New Cale donia, but instead of accepting it, he ral lied to de Gaulle. The following Febru ary he went to London, and was appointed to the Syrian administration, after the Vichy garrisons were ejected.

He then became Free French represen tative with Emperor Haile Selassie, at Addis Ababa.