Red Tape

Cutting Coconuts and Red Tape

(Contributed) PAPUA, in pre-war days, had its struggles with red-tape; but, when the Military Administration took charge, some red-tape disappeared.

Some of us were encouraged to think that the petty bureaucrat was a thing of the past. But such was not to be— officialdom slowly filtered back into the country under some guise or other. Per haps an “all time' high” was reached last year, during the stiff fighting for Buna.

The American forces had with them a certain “adviser.” His actual function no one seemed to be able to define, but the type did not seem to their liking. At that time, tanks were needed further forward, and certain Americans manned the machines, so as to take them to a point where Australian personnel would drive them into action.

In the path of the tanks there stood several coconut trees. The removal of those trees was necessary, to allow the passage of the tanks.

But at this point our red-tape friend appeared. “No!” said he. “Coconut trees are native wealth, and under no circum stances must they be cut down.”

“Well,” said the American Colonel, “I’m afraid that, wealth or no wealth, down they will have to come. Lives are being lost while the Australians are waiting for these tanks.”

The adviser drew himself up to his full height of 63 inches and threatened the Colonel with the consequences of defying the laws of Papua.

“Sorry,” said the Colonel. “Those trees are coming down. And, as for you ...” and the Colonel told the adviser how to dispose of the trees.

The adviser was horror-stricken, and with dignified haste he went to the American General, with the full story. He ended, bitterly, with a verbatim report of what the Colonel had told him to do with the coconut trees.

The General (his name appears fre quently when the Buna fighting is men tioned), eyed the pompous little man’s framework speculatively. “And did you do it?” he asked. “No? Well, then, I’m afraid we’ll have to conduct our campaign without you.”

The adviser departed and joined an other unit, where he hopes that a more understanding view will be taken of such matters as the destruction of six valuable coconut trees merely to allow the passage of tanks required to save Australian lives.