Cohen's Walking

Stick

Sad Sequel to Amusing Incident of Ward's Territories Tour

ALL the old hands of the Territories are chuckling over the story of how Sergeant Leon Cohen, of ANGAU, presented a souvenir walking-stick to “Eddie” Ward. But ex-Sergeant Cohen, now gloomily travelling back to the old home-town in New Zealand, d(&s not at present see the funny side of the in cident.

Leon Cohen, when war came, was a well-known Morobe miner. In due course, he became an enlisted man in ANGAU.

Because of his experience and success in handling native labour, ANGAU found him very useful. He was a sergeant, recommended as a warrant-officer (and acting as WO) in April, 1944.

In that month, Mr. “Eddie” Ward, Aus tralia’s never-to-be-forgotten Minister for Pacific Territories, arrived in Finschhaven, on a Ministerial tour. The Ward party, travelling in jeeps, was momentarily held up at a bad crossing.

There, Ward was introduced to and chat ted with a group of ANGAU non-coms., including Cohen.

Cohen had been given a curiously carved cane by one of his native lab ourers. An ANGAU officer noticed it, and suggested Cohen give it to the Minis ter, as a souvenir. Cohen agreed, and handed it to Ward, by the thin end, so that Ward could observe the queer carv ing.

As he did so, Cohen noticed that the cane was split. “Oh, I’m sorry it’s dam aged,” he said. “I must have done that when I whacked that coon this morning.”

The Australian Minister bridled and snorted. “When you did what?” he de manded.

Cohen suddenly realised that he was in the sensitive presence of officialdom, which says that Fuzzy-Wuzzies are our black brothers, whose bottoms must in no circumstances be caned. But it was too late. He explained gently that situa tions occasionally arose when it was necessary to whack a recalcitrant native —and that had happened this morning.

There was a strange glare in the eyes of the Minister. Cohen hurriedly with drew. ANGAU officers, standing around, appeared to regard the incident as amus ing; but an extremely stiff AIF major intercepted the retiring sergeant, and wanted more particulars.

It is generally assumed that the Minis ter believed the incident had been plan ned for his humiliation —nothing else could explain the absurdity of the fol lowing events.

Sergeant Cohen’s boys were lined, in the presence of grave and severe senior officers, and interrogated. They admit ted frankly that Masta Cohen had caned the behinds of a couple of lads guilty of persistent abstenteeism, and that they had deserved the punishment.

Did they wish to make a complaint against Masta Cohen? asked senior officers. , , „ The labourers said coyly that they did not. rAT, it was assumed, was the end of the incident. Sergeant Cohen was paraded before ANGAU officers, and reprimanded, and told he could forget about that warrant-officer rank. “And, added ANGAU officialdom, “if you’re such a damn fool as to talk about whacking coons, in front of this blasted politician from Australia, you deserve all you get

—or don’t get.” The justice of which was admitted by the unhappy Cohen.

The sergeant was transferred to an other district, and did such good work, while in charge of native labour, that he again was recommended for promotion to WO.

But the mills of the military brasshats grind slowly, and grind exceedingly small.

Months later, Sergeant Cohen was hur diedly sent back to Lae. An order had come direct from the High Panjandrum himself, General Sir Thomas Blarney, that Cohen should be removed from ANGAU. And removed he was accord ingly. He had assaulted a native, and held up one of H.M. Australian Ministers to ridicule!

Cohen sat around for weeks, and awaited his fate. No one seemed to know what to do with him. He is a well educated man, with a very good know ledge of pidgin, and successful in hand lino- natives, and ANGAU would have been glad of his services. But the High Panjandrum had spoken—and ANGAU didn’t dare use Cohen again.

Finally, he was sent to Nadzab, to as sist the raw young officers of the newly created Pacific Island Regiment in learn ing how to speak pidgin and handle their native soldiers. He was there for some months.

But officialdom smelled him out. It appears that there had been communica tions between the outraged Minister for the External Territories (Mr. “Eddie”

Ward), and the Australian Army Minis ter, Mr. Forde; and Sergeant Cohen’s departure from Nadzab was instigated by Army. mHE disposal of the unfortunate carcase X of Sergeant Cohen might have be come Lae’s Number One headache — had it not been for the timely sur render of Japan. The sergeant was due for leave; the war way over; officialdom was very happy to arrange for his dis charge.

Sergeant Cohen has departed, but is not disgraced. He is determined that his thoughtless remark before Australia’s Minister Extraordinary in April, 1944, shall not besmirch his record as a sol dier, and his case is still before the Australian Army Department.

All of which merely strengthens the argument against allowing a man of Mr.

Ward’s history, background and outlook to take charge of a difficult portfolio like that of Pacific Territories. With every week that passes, his administration tends to make Australia and her Pacific Territories more ridiculous. * * ♦ A BOOKLET entitled “You and the Native,” prepared by the Allied Geographical Section, South-west Pacific Area, was placed in the hands of everv officer and non-com. serving in the Pacific Islands. Its sub-title says, “Notes Tbr the guidance of members of the Forces, in their relations with New Guinea natives,” Another sub-title says that it is published “for the information of all concerned” at the command of General MacArthur, Commander-in- Chief, by R. K. Sutherland, Major Gen eral, USA, Chief of Staff.

And here are the exact words of Sec tion 91 of the booklet, outlining the best way of treating natives: “There may be a bad egg, who deliber ately defies you, just to try you out. There is only one thing to do in these cir cumstances. Crack him,”

Mr. R. G. Q. Kermode, LLB (NZO, ex captain in Fiji Military Forces, and a son of Mr. George Kermode, retired from the Fiji Police, was recently admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Fiji.