How Britain Plans To Compensate

Jap-Invaded Territories

Minister's Statement of Feb., 1946, Covers the South Pacific

THE secretary of the Western Pacific High Commission (Mr. H. H. Vas kess) has courteously sent us the following copy of a statement made in the House of Commons, London, by the then Secretary for the Colonies, on Feb ruary 18, 1946, on the appointment of War Damage Claims Commissions in the Far East, Mr. Vaskess says: “Although they are not specifically mentioned, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, and the British Solomon Islands Protectorate are un doubtedly among the Territiories referred to.”

The following is the statement, in full: “I.—The Government propose that Claims Commissions should be set up in each of the British territories in the Far East which have been occupied by the Japanese, to register and assess claims for property lost or damaged as a result of the war. The new register will take over claims already provisionally regis tered, and no further registration will be needed in such cases.

“2.—The Commission will examine claims registered with them with two objects in view: (a) To compile information as to all losses which might be included in Reparation Claims against the Japanese. (b) To assess claims admissible under the local law or that might otherwise qualify for compensation under schemes initiated by the local Governments of these terri tories.

“3. —The categories of claims to be in cluded for reparation purposes have not yet been settled, but will be communi cated to the Commissions as soon as possible. A warning should, however, be given that reparation settlements may not meet the full amount of our claims.

“4. —The precise classes of claims in respect of which compensation will be paid and the basis of their assessment will be determined in due course by local legislation. In the meantime, for the purpose of assessment of claims regis tered with them, the Commission will be guided by the terms of existing local legislation, or, where there is no such legislation, broadly by the principles laid down in analogous United Kingdom legislation.

“s.—Pending assessment of claims, it is not possible to state the extent to which it may be possible to award com pensation, and the setting up of a Claims Commission does not commit the Gov ernment of the territory concerned to the payment of compensation, save in the case of claims admissible under existing local law.

“6. —In the event of it being found practicable to initiate new compensation schemes, the local Government will follow three principles in the preparation of such schemes: (a) Owners of property (whether damaged or not) over a minimum value to be fixed will have to pay a fair share of the total cost, just as has been the practice in this country. (b) Compensation may be with held from those claimants who are not prepared to re-invest the award in the country concerned, in cases in which such re-investment would be practicable. (c) Priority will have to be given in the settlement of all claims to those claimants, the restoration of whose property is of chief impor tance to the economy of the terri tory.

“7. —As has been previously stated.

His Majesty’s Government are anxious, if the resources of the local govenrments concerned are insufficient to meet the cost of restoring productive activities in their territories, to give what assistance they can. His Majesty’s Government are

already, in pursuance of this undertaking, making advances to certain of the local governments whose resources are insuffi cient to finance reconstruction schemes; but His Majesty’s Government cannot give any specific undertaking as to the extent to which they could assist local govern ments in regard to compensation schemes until it is known what are the extent of those schemes and how far local re sources can meet them.”

Editorial Note

ALTHOUGH the promises given of war damage compensation are vague and hedged about with provisos, the fore going statement does mean, apparently, the the British Colonial Office accepts some responsibility for payment of com pensation, eventually.

But the wheels of bureaucratic government turn very slowly. It is five years since the Japs invaded the South Pacific; 21 years since they were thrown out of the Solomons and the Gilberts; 11 years since Japan surrendered; one year since the above statement was made—yet the unhappy property-owners of both Territories seem no nearer getting compensation, either in cash or in rehabilitation, than they were in 1942.

The fact that the Ministerial statement said "British Territories in the Far East” caused most people to assume that it did not refer to the South Pacific. Mr.

Vaskess, however, makes it clear that the Minister meant the announcement to

cover all British Territories affected by the war against Japan The next step, presumably will be an announcement by the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, who may be ex pected someday to indicate (l) That Britain will pay war damage compensation in respect of proper ties in the Gilbert and Ellice Colony and the Solomon Islands (2) That formal claims for compensa tion should be lodged in a parti cular manner. (3) That payment will be made in ac cordance with certain principles, as outlined in clause 6 of the Minister’s statement.