Copy Of A Letter To

Mr. Ward

January 12, 1945.

Hon. E. J. Ward, MP, Minister for External Territories Canberra.

Dear Mr. Ward,— I have, just seen, for the first time, a copy of the instructions given by you to Mr. Barry, KC, who, as a

Royal Commissioner, is inquiring

into the circumstances surrounding the cessation of civil government in Papua in February, 1942.

I am one of those who, rightly or wrongly, regard this as an attack by the Army upon the Civil Administrator, Mr. Murray, and an attempt by the Army to entrench some parts of itself permanently in Territories Administration.

Therefore, I take the liberty of suggesting to you that, before Mr.

Barry ceases his inquiry, you add the following to his “terms of re ference”: To inquire into all the circumstances surrounding the failure of the responsible authorities to remove all non-combatant Europeans from Rabaul prior to the Japanese invasion; and especially to ascertain— , (a) The date when it became clear to our military commanders in Port Moresby that a Japanese invasion fleet was approaching Rabaul; (b) The number of ships that were then available in or near Rabaul Harbour for the removal of European civi lians; (c) The time that elapsed after (a) before the Japanese sealed up Rabaul Harbour; (d) The approximate number of non combatants, including high adminis trative officials, who were captured by the Japs in Rabaul and vicinity; (e) The number and size of ships trapped in Rabaul Harbour, and the reasons for their non-removal.

And to say who actually was to blame for the fact that those Rabaul civilians were not shipped away.

I venture to suggest that there are matters here of far greater im port to Australia, and the Army, than what happened in Port Moresby during the same tragic period.

Yours faithfully,

R. W. Robson,

Publisher, “Pacific Islands Monthly.”