Picnic

39 Boys On A Band

War Loan Stunt May Have Ugly Social Reactions

ON Sunday, March 4, there arrived in Sydney 39 members of the band of the Papuan Armed Constabulary, specially selected and trained by Lieut.

D. Crawley, who was so successful in the years before the war in organising the Rabaul Police Boys’ Band.

This Papuan band, which is touring Australia—apparently partly in the in terests of the War Loan, and partly in order that certain high officials may have their ego burnished—is in the personal charge of Lieut. Crawley and of Lieut.- Colonel C. Normoyle, who is in charge of police in Port Moresby. It is obviously a very excellent combination. It is com posed partly of Papuans and partly of New Guinea boys; and the lot have appar ently been splendidly trained and partly educated.

The appearance of the boys, their dis cipline and their fine performance as musicians reflect the greatest possible credit upon Lieut. Crawley and those who have been associated with him in train ing the organisation.

BUT the action of officialdom in bring ing two-score of New Guinea natives to Australia, under the social con ditions imposed by war, and sending them on a tour of the big cities, has been criticised by every Territorian who knows anything of Territorian conditions. It is another example of official stupidity in dealing with Melanesian natives.

These are primitive Melanesians. It is only because they have been properly looked after in their own country, by men who understand local conditions, that they have caused so little trouble to Euro peans, and have been so loyal to European administrators in the difficult war years through which they have just passed.

It is shortsighted and wrong to bring these natives into Australian cities, where the whole social set-up is based upon the accepted fact that all classes are more or less equal. Social discipline in such countries as Papua and New Guinea is maintained only by strict observance of the rule that there is a distinction and a difference between white men and black men—they may not mingle on terms of social equality without disaster. Enough harm already has been done in the Terri tories by a too-familiar association be tween these natives and masses of Euro pean soldiers, without the experiment of sending 39 of these natives, from all parts of the Territory, to wander through Aus tralian cities, even though they be under stern discipline.

Officialdom, of course, will rush angrily to its own defence with the statement that the natives are being closely guarded and looked after. That is nonsense.

These boys cannot be kept locked up like prisoners, and as soon as they wander in the streets with any degree of freedom they will soon find themselves on terms of intimacy with the low-class whites with which our cities teem; and thus there are established relations which will do untold harm when the boys return to the Territories and mingle again with their own people.

Through an inquiry received here for the. address of former Papuan friends, we have word of Mr. and Mrs. L. M.

Hammett, who were residents of Papua for 20 years. They left the Territory in 1931, for England, and now live in Corn wall (Woodlane Cottagfc, Woodlane,, Falmouth).