Missionary Argues For

Federation

THAT co-ordination and co-operation could be brought into the Islands world —now a patchwork of similar peoples and different administrations— was the opinion expressed by Rev. J. R.

Metcalfe, an experienced South Seas missionary, in a statement in Melbourne recently.

“Cannot the controlling Powers make one great Federation of the South Pacific Islands?” he asked. “There could be local government within the • island groups similar to the present, subject to a Supreme Council, with representatives from each, owing allegiance to the Lea gue of Nations or some international body.

“Governments would have to give up many of their rights. But, in return, those at a distance would be saved from the worries of possessions too small to count in the perplexing problems of home affairs, while Australia and New Zealand would have an arc of inter nationally protected islands to save them from aggression, and the Dutch, in the East Indies, would have one flank pro tected.

“Instead of so many small territories being governed by so many sets of Cus toms, land and other regulations, there would be one civil service, one Customs, one set of land, education and health laws and a Government with capacity to counteract selfish monopolies and take over the sale of island produce for the good of the primary producers.”

Pointing out that among the conflict ing voices at the Peace Conference there would be a grave danger that the inter ests of those most concerned (the islanders) would be neglected, Mr. Met calfe said there was an opportunity for the Christian missions to join in a Church Federation for the islands.

If the different missions were not pre pared to share their resources with each other and the Governments in all purely secular affairs, could they escape the criticism that they were out for sectional aggrandisement and not for the King dom of God and the well-being of the Pacific Islanders?