Brave Fijians

Praise in "New York Times"

By Esmae B. Taylor

T 'HE exploits of the Fijian Commando troops in the Pacific were re cently the subject of an editorial hy the “New York Times” one of America’s leading newspapers. Here is what “The Times” said : WHEN Kipling wrote of the “Fuzzy Wuzzies” he was not describing the natives of Britain’s principal Pacific colony, the once-cannibal isles of the Fijis,, but he might have blen. The Fijian’s kinky hair, worn in that fashion for protection against the sun, makes the name fit him as a cartridge does its chamber. Once one of the most warlike of the races or tribes of Oceania, the Fijian has changed, under 75 years of missionising and humane colonial admin-, istration, to a peaceable and respected citizen of the British Empire.

“That he still is a mighty warrior when the occasion demands, however, is attested by the story from Bougainville that a Fijian battalion, fighting there with the United States troops, ran up a score of 125 Japanese dead against one Fijian killed and two wounded. Kip line’s ‘Fuzzy Wuzzies’ never fought that well. No white battalion has bettered that record.”

Tribute was then paid to the sample force which, under Captain Harry Wil liams, saw action on Guadalcanal and performed “yeoman service.”

The paper was anxious to know why more of these hardy troops have not been used as combat troops against the Jap anese. “Unless the knowledge has been held back by censorship, only the one

battalion of an available force of many times their number has been used.”

Americans are keenly interested in these Fijian lads who fight with such bravery and skill beside their own boys.

They’d like to hear more about them.

Joseph Mitchell