South Pacific Regional

Conference

Six Countries Meet in Canberra to Establish Advisory Commission

THE South Pacific Regional Con ference, convened by Australia and New Zealand in terms of the “Anzac Pact,” signed in 1944, will be opened in Canberra on January 28, and is expected to extend over 10 days.

The names of all delegates are not yet available, but it is known that the follow ing will be represented:

Australia

(Holding Territory of Papua, Mandated Territory of New Guinea. Norfolk Island, and with Britain and NZ Mandated Territory of Nauru.) Minister for External Affairs (Dr.

Evatt); Minister for External Territories (Mr.

Ward) ; High officials, including the Adminis trator of Papua-New Guinea, Colonel J.

K. Murray.

New Zealand

(Holding the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa, the Territory of Cook Islands and Niue, and—with Britain and Australia the Mandated Territory of Nauru.) Represented by one Senior Minister, and officials.

Great Britain

(Holding the Crown Colony of Fiji, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, the Protectorate of the Solomon Islands, Pitcairn Island and with France the Condominium of the New Hebrides, and —with Australia and New Zealand the Mandated Territory of Nauru.) Represented by one Minister and High officials.

Sir Alexander Grantham (Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific) and Captain A. R. W.

Robertson (Colonial Treasurer, Fiji) are due in Sydney about January 26, to join the British delegation. It is not known whether the Kingdom of Tonga will be represented by Sir Alexander Grantham, or will be left out because it is not “a non-self-governing territory” it gov erns itself.

United States

(Holding the Territory of Eastern Samoa.) Represented by a delegation of seven, headed by Mr. Robert Butler (US Am bassador in Australia).

France

(Holding the Colony of New Caledonia, the Establishments of French Oceania, and with Britain the New Hebrides.) Represented by the French Minister in Australia and high officials from Paris, and the Governor of French Oceania.

Holland

(Holding the Netherlands East Indies which includes Dutch New Guinea and Western Timor.) Baron van Aerssen, Netherlands Minister to Australia.

The position is obscure in relation to the Indonesians who (according to an agreement that has not yet been ratified, though it has just been accepted by the Netherlands Parliament) are “partners” with Holland in the East Indies. The Australian Minister Dr. Evatt. announced that the area under consideration was the Pacific Territories south of the equator, “including Dutch New Guinea.”

But practically all of the East Indies lies south of the equator.

THE chief purpose of the conference will be the establishment of a Regional Advisory Commission for the non-self-governing territories of the South Pacific.

The Commission will advise all member Governments on matters affect ing native welfare and the economic development of the South Pacific Islands, based on a co-ordination of the ideas and plans of those with first-hand know ledge and experience of the various groups.

The Commission will have no admin istrative authority whatever —it will be merely an advisory body. It will not deal with any matter affecting defence or security, and it will not interfere in poli tical affairs.

There will be no direct relationship between the Commission and the United Nations; but it is expected that the in direct relationship will be important.

The Commission should serve to co-or dinate the policies of Britain, United States, Australia, New Zealand, France and Holland, in relation to the non-self governing territories of the South Pacific, so that those members of the United Nations may be in agreement in pre senting their ideas and proposals to the United Nations and especially to the Truteeship Council.

THERE is no indication, yet, of where it is proposed to place the head quarters of the Commission. Aus traila, as convenor, will probably try to keep the Commission in Canberra.

That would be a grave error. The Com mission, which has great possibilities of usefulness, could be affected in Australia by Australian politics, and by Southwest Pacific considerations, which are wholly Melanesian.

Culturally, and politically, the most important section of the South Pacific is Polynesia. But it would be an error, also, to establish the Commission in Polynesia.

Suva, being in Micronesia, is not only clear of both Melanesia and Polynesia*— it also is so situated that it is, geograph ically, economically and politically, the natural centre of the South Pacific. It would be the ideal home for the new co ordinating body.