Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

IT would seem that the Canberra Citizens’ Rights League has got hold of the right idea. Its members are seeking the intervention of UNO, under Chapter XI Article 73 of the UNO charter, which deals with the rights of non-self governing territories. The idea is an attempt to force the Australian govern ment’s hand to give the ACT parlia mentary representation. Once again the slogan rings out: “No taxation without representation.”

The same tactics should and could be adopted by Territorians in Papua-New Guinea. In fact, Dr, Evatt, the champion of small nations and minorities, should be only too eager to assist non-self-gov erning and non-represented territories, such as ACT and TP-NG. But the odds are he’ll be deaf to local petitions, and centre his attention on small foreign powers. * * * TALKING of UNO reminds me of a special spot of discord in the UNO ranks, which affected Australia in connection with the Territories last month, when Australia’s draft Trustee ship Agreement for New Guinea was severely criticised in the Trusteeship Committee by such members as Russia, India, China, Mexico and Yugoslavia.

Boris Stein, the Soviet delegate, made the astounding statement that Australia had done nothing to develop the natives of New Guinea in the past 25 years, and this was more or less endorsed by other nations.

Territorians know only too well —and sometimes to their sorrow! —how quickly the natives have developed and been en couraged to do so by an idealistic Admin istration during those 25 years. But in politics —and particularly international politics it’s not always what is that counts, but what may be made to appear.

So here we have a section of the UNO members adopting an antagonistic atti tude towards Australia’s claim for trusteeship. This, no doubt, has been anticipated by Australia for some con siderable time and would explain, in no small measure, the extremely indulgent policy launched by Eddie Ward in an effort to forestall such criticism as has been made by those nations now opposed to Australia’s trusteeship.

It is a new angle on a vexed question, and may explain some of the crosses we have to bear.

I would prefer Boris Stein & Co. to any planter, miner or trader, at the moment trying to rehabilitate himself in the Ter ritory, for refutation of the Russian canard. * * * ABOUT the time this UNO argument was going on in New York, Archie Cameron (Liberal member for Barker in SA) was all for dumping the Trusteeship idea —he wanted Australia to annex the northern islands.

“Australian public opinion,” he said, “would not tolerate the intrusion of the United Nations, or any other authority, in the administration of the islands.”

And he was about right, too. Smuts, of South Africa, has the same idea.

As a matter of fact, Trusteeships will

only prove to be pegs on which to hang objections and destructive criticism by opposing nations who know nothing of natives or the administration they should receive. ♦ * * THE South Seas Regional Commission is meeting next month in Canberra and this organisation, undoubtedly, will have a big bearing on future Islands policies.

Main departments of the Secretariat are economic development, public health, education and communications. The ad visers are to be economists, medical officers, anthropologists and other scien tists, education experts, missionaries, as well as native representatives.

No word, so far, of some common or garden variety of practical planters and miners being included in the set-up— although to make it sure of success these should be numbered amonst the advisers. ♦ * * BUYING old Army gear “with all faults” apparently means nothing to Brown Brother around Lae. One such successful purchaser found that the engine in his newly-acquired truck would not function. He saw the Kiap, who sym pathetically explained the meaning of “all faults.”

Couldn’t the Kiap fix the engine? Have it done in the Government workshops?

Sorry, nothing doing.

An appeal to Higher Authority, how ever, brought the terse order that the workshops should put the engine in run ning order.

Mr. Boris Stein, please note! * * ♦ SNAILS or no snails, says E. J. Wau chope, recently in Sydney from a visit to his property at Awar, west of Madang. he’s going back, despite the fact that his plantation is a “wipe-off.”

E. J. knows the Sepik area like the back of his hand, and had one of the finest plantations up in that district. ♦ * * THIS is the sort of cock-eyed story which does a lot of harm: “Education of natives in Australian New Guinea was even worse than under the Dutch in the East Indies.” The author is one Harold Smith, Chicago Tribune’s correspondent, who addressed a gathering in Chicago.

He could just as easily have compared the New Guinea educational system with that of the Philippines. Europeans arrived in the DEI back in 1509, while in New Guinea the first whites came along to settle about 1870 or so; and there’s a vast difference in the mentality of the Indonesians compared with that of the primitive New Guinea man.

I often wonder if Canberra ever does anything about these impossible, libellous and unjustified statements, which invari ably receive great publicity and reflect no credit on Australia. Maintaining a dignified silence in these days of ballyhoo and propaganda is altogether a bad policy. * * * BITS and Pieces: Bar soap in Australia is running short; one of the reasons: shortage of copra . . • The Bulolo people are getting a move on. The Upper Baiune power house is operating again;

and by June, ’47, four of the dredges are expected to be working . . . APC drillers in Papua have resumed work and the bore —down to a depth of 5,400 ft. before the blitz —is said to be in good condi tion ... To Peggy Gilmore that was (now Mrs. David McEvoy) a son on November 26 . . . Clare Cooper, presi dent of the NG Women’s Assn, in Mel bourne, has been looking up old friends in Sydney recently. She’s very bucked at the success attending the drive for establishing a scheme for scholarships for NG children . . . Option given by Enterprise of New Guinea G & PD Co., for the mine at £125,000, has not been exercised. It was given in November ’45 . . . John Leeuwin Clark, of Hazel brook, and father of Les Clark, passed away at Katoomba on November 25 . . .

Maize seed, coconuts, peanuts, rice and pumpkin seed have been flown from Queensland to Bougainville where, accord to a Sydney report, 20,000 natives are facing hunger. Local taro has been attacked by disease. What, no UNRRA?