Revolution!

Come The

Indians Arm—For What?

Suva, Oct. 16.

IN the week ending October 14, 76 charges of being in illegal possession of arms or explosives or other Army property have, been made in the Nadi district—almost entirely against Indians.

The police round-up is continuing and each day brings its quota of black sheep.

Police officers in charge of the drive are Superintendent Hooper and Assistant Superintendent Spencer. In the first week they recovered 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 27 rifles. 20 automatic pis tols, 278 I lb. tins of TNT, 45 grenades, and 23 smoke-bombs.

The present police clean-up is long overdue, but is welcomed by the Euro pean residents of the Colony.

One has not got to be long in this country before becoming conscious of persistent rumours of what the Indians of the Tavua-Nadi districts are alleged to have in the way of hidden arms. The European residents of those districts give the impression that they would not be much surprised if red, raw revolution broke out at any moment. Whether this is the real intention of the Indians con cerned is open to doubt, but the fact remains that they remain a potential danger to the peace of the Colony whne such a state of affairs is allowed to exist.

To date, apparently, this danger has been discounted by the authorities, whose task in overcoming it certainly is no easy one.

NADI was (and still is, to a limited degree) a large American base.

American Servicemen, moreover, are apparently not held responsible for their arms to the extent of British or Colonial troops. It is stated freely here that the whole arms racket started through a dump of arms and ammunition being

forgotten or abandoned by the Ameri cans, and which the local Indians for no other reason than acquisitiveness re moved piecemeal.

Later, some shrewd-heads saw the pos sibilities of thus being prepared, and a brisk trade in ammunition and weapons was carried on with Servicemen, in ex change for various services rendered.

Possibly, in a large percentage of cases the Indians concerned thought no further than participation in their own gang wars and faction differences which rage interminably; others, again, may have an eye to the future and see the day when these preparations may be turned to good account against the comparatively few Britishers in the Colony.

Considering the interesting time the Dutch and French are having with their colonial subjects at present, it is per haps rather amazing that the Indians have not been tempted to do likewise, if they have any leanings that way—and public opinion is that they have.

With the weapons have gone the manuals for working them. Guns and automatic weapons are usually found sealed in tins and deposited in such safe places as the canefields. It is presumed that the people concerned are not keep ing these things as souvenirs, and that they must envision a day when they will be used. , Whether it is for plain gang war—and there are young arrogant Indians around the districts bordering on Lautoka who make the Hollywood gangster look but a pale imitation—or fancy revolutions, the time to do something about it is now. At present New Zealand and American troops are moving back home, and the Fiji Military Forces are being dispersed.

If the Indians contemplate mischief this could be the time for which they are looking.

Fiji’s Comptroller of Customs, Hon.

H. J. S. Allen, retires next January. He will be succeeded by Mr. Smith, Collector of Customs, Bermuda. ft