"Trusteeship"

Future of Pacific Territories

ALREADY, before the opening of the San Francisco Conference, news papers throughout the world are beginning to speculate about the future of Pacific Territories which may be “running around loose” after the Pacific War is ended and the League of Nations liquidated. Those Territories probably will be: New Guinea.—Australian Mandate from League of Nations.

Western Samoa.—New Zealand Mandate.

Caroline, Marshall and Mariana Islands.— Japanese Mandate.

Nauru.—Joint British Mandate.

Formosa. —Probably taken from Japan.

New Hebrides (Condominium) and Bri tish Solomon Islands.—Present control may be revised, for strategical and political reasons.

The American papers indicate that the United States is determined to retain, among the recaptured islands at least, sufficient sea and air bases to assist the task of maintaining future peace in the Pacific. There is much talk of a trustee ship, responsible to the World Authority about to be created; but American opinion, so far as the bases are con cerned, wants no trustee-ship, but abso lute authority. Few who study the prob lems of the future security of the Pacific will quarrel with the American argu ments.

In any case, discussion is futile, until we see the trend of world opinion, as expressed at the ’Frisco Conference.

Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Sollitt, of Nausori, Fiji, had a letter recently from their son, LAC Hickson Sollitt, RAAF, who is a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. He apparently is well.