The "Cargo-Cult"

Letter to the Editor MY article on “Cargo-cult” in Novem ber “PIM,” which was quoted by Mr. Inselmann in his letter in June issue, referred to the danger of a too rapid forcing of a religious and military education on the New Guinea natives.

All who have replied to my article have denied responsibility for the “madness,” but so far they have advanced no case to support that denial.

The fact that the “madness” has a strong religious bias —for example, the singing of hymns and the distorted reli gious sermons by the “Kings”:—is ex tremely hard to explain away, so it is side-stepped. All who have answered the article so far have begun by attacking me personally for what is quite wrongly termed mv attack on the “fellowship of man,” and follow by an attack on the pre-war Administration and civilians.

Mr. Inselmann’s reference to the Ad ministration officials “fleeing from the enemy,” is a gross injustice to a particu larly fine body of men. Such isolated and painful incidents as there were are much better forgotten at this distance.

MR. INSELMANN’S statement that his thesis on the subject of the mad ness was accepted by the Hartford Seminary Foundation is interesting, but he should remember that many men, pos sibly more erudite than he, have had their opinions accepted on a great many subjects, for a time, pnly to have those opinions exploded by a later and more intensive research.

Therefore, Mr. Inselmann’s thesis need not necessarily be accepted as the final and absolute verdict in this connection.

The majority of people would probably agree that the too rapid forcing of a religious and military education on primi tive natives is dangerous and could give rise to such tragic cults as the “Vailala madness.”

My views on the acceptance of primi tive natives into a civilised society are well known, but as Mr. Inselmann has raised the subject, in his letter, I chal lenge him with one question: Is he pre pared to accept, as an equal in civilised society, the New Guinea native in his present stage of development?

Would, in fact, Mr. Inselmann be pre pared to allow the average New Guinea native to marry his daughter or his sister?

I have asked other would-be reformers this question and the stock answers are: • Having neither, sisters nor daugh ters the question does not apply. But would have no objection to these savages marrying other people’s sisters or daugh ters. • Would not try to influence the women either way. but would rely on their good taste and innate decency to prevent their making a decision that they may later regret. • A long and pointless dissertation on the equality of man in the sight of God. • Ditto on the inadvisability of mixing the races (i.e., the “colour line” with reservations supported by quotations from the Bible).

I am, etc..

N. M. Bird.

Sydney, June 22, 1d46

Mrs. R. J. Booker, who has been spend ing the evacuee years in Melbourne re joined her husband at Pak Plantation Manus, New Guinea, in July. She was a passenger on the “Montoro.”

Mr. W. F. Scannell, who worked a gold mine on the Schilling River, in the Wewak area of New Guinea, for several years prior to the invasion, and who afterwards was with the American Forces in New Guinea, returned to Sydney last month from an engagement as third officer on the American steamer “San Antonio.” She was sold to the Chinese, and Mr. Scannell returned in a Skymas ter. He spent some time in Manchurian ports, and has formed the opinion that a great deal of trouble for the nations is cooking up in China. The masses are not friendly to Europeans, and show a certain aggressiveness based on their belief that China won the war. Mr. and Mrs. Scan nell now are enjoying a holiday in Aus tralia, while they wait to see if there really is to be any future for Europeans in New Guinea.

The engagement of Miss Jean Miller to Mr. John L. d’Espeissis was recently an nounced in Suva. Miss Miller is the niece of the late Mr. Hugh Stuart-Forbes, of Vunilagi, Fiji. Before going to Fiji as the Colony’s Forestry Officer, Mr. d’Espeissis held a similar position with the Administration of the Mandated Ter ritory of New Guinea.

Mr. and Mrs. Boye, of Vanikoro, Solo mon Islands, arrived in Australia on fur lough in May, and will remain until August. Mr. Boye is in charge of the Kauri timbermill on Vanikoro. Vanikoro was involved in the Solomon Islands fighting in 1942, and Mrs. Boye was cited by the Americans for bravery.