War's Tragic Effects On Native Life
p. 32 · Read in the full issue
Discussions of Acute Problems in Pacific
THE problems of what to do with the Pacific Territories—and, more especially, the indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands—after the war has been discussed in a masterly treatise by Scout Commissioner H. E. Hurst, of Geelong, Australia —already well known for his far-reaching experiments in sup plying technical education to the natives of Nauru.
Mr. Hurst has worked out a plan for the control, education and protection of the natives that is based on the Boy Scout organisation, and is linked with the establishment of cultural Guilds. The aim of the plan is to make the native communities self-supporting and indepen dent, and encourage them to govern them selves.
The thought, research and industry put into this compilation entitle Mr. Hurst’s arguments and conclusions to the utmost consideration when the time comes to plan the future government of the Paci fic Territories—especially those aspects of the administration that affect the native peoples.
A possible weakness in the treatise may lie in its failure to take industrial and commercial conditions —past, present and future—sufficiently into account. Are Europeans to be permitted to live and work and trade in the Territories after
the war? If so, are they to be allowed to employ native labour? If not, where are they to get labour? Is so, are the conditions under which native labour is to be employed in the future to be simi lar to those of the past? If not, in what direction is reform to be sought?
THESE questions must be answered, and if they are answered honestly, the extent and complexity of the prob lems before the Territories will be recog nised.
Native life in every Pacific Territory already has been profoundly disturbed by war—in peaceful Samoa or Tonga as well as in war-torn Papua or Solomons.
To believe that those natives will go quietly back to their simple village life, or that the Islands generally are not due for vast post-war European immigra tion and exploitation, in which all native labour will be eagerly competed for, is just wishful thinking. The “Europeanisa tion” of the Islands, which formally might have occupied another hundred years and been partly controlled, may now be completed by war conditions in five or ten years, without control.
Every week that passes brings new facts to show the urgency of this matter: how necessary it is to try to control, in some manner, the impact of these mighty Euro pean war machines upon the natives, and to make plans for reconstruction and re habilitation when the war has passed.
Men are talking of this matter; others are writing articles and pamphlets, and among these Mr. Hurst’s treatise is out standing. But there seems to be no cen tral authority to plan, direct and co ordinate. The Pacific war may end, with native life throughout the Territories smashed and chaotic—and no plan or planners at hand to try to save these helpless native peoples from the post war deluge.
The call is not so much for considera tion of proposals such as those put for ward by altruists like Mr. Hurst, as *or the creation of some authority competent to consider such plans, and co-ordinate and use the eager services which such men offer.
Mr. W. J. Duncan, son of Captain James Duncan, of Rapopo, Rabaul, New Guinea, who was called up to the RAAF in 1939, has now been promoted to Group Captain, and is stationed somewhere in the Middle East. He was a planter at Buka Passage before the war. Captain Duncan’s plan tation is now the much-bombed airfield of Rapopo. Captain Duncan is engaged on essential transport work in North Australian waters.