Fiji Has Days Victory

Celebration News Relayed by Village Drum

NEWS of Japan’s capitulation came to Fiji at 11 a.m. on August 15. An American warship on the harbour, in a long series of “Victory V’s” blown on the ship’s siren, gave most Suva people their first intimation that peace had come.

Special coloured posters, showing Allied flags and bearing the word “Victory m English, Fijian and Hindustani had been prepared in anticipation by the Public Relations Office, and these soon appeared in windows and on walls. Announce ments were made also from the Ministry of Information cinema van which toured the streets.

The Governor of Fiji, Sir Alexander Grantham, broadcast to the people at 12 30, and announced that that day and the following two days would be holidays.

Reports received from throughout the Colony indicate the particularly enthu siastic celebrations by the Chinese community for whom the occasion had special significance.

Runners were sent out beyond the range of telephones in outlying districts, and 8 from there native drums took up the news, relaying it from village to village.

At Labasa, sugar crushing was in full swing, and at the CSR mills it was n nossible to stop crushing immediately.

Workers took their 21 days’ holiday later in the month.

On the Friday morning, a procession of Indian and Chinese cars left Nadi town for the American airbase with flags flying and horns blowing. When the pro cession returned to the town there was a gathering at the Nadi theatre, where sneeches were made by the District Officer Mr. Coode, Mr. J. H. R. Maharaj, and Major Buie (of the US Forces).

Mr. Marc T. Greene, well-known jour nalist, visited Suva, Fiji, in July. He is a regular correspondent for American and Dominion newspapers and most of his articles being on acl “2 topics. He was in Manila when the Philippines fell, and spent two years in Japanese hands.