"Window Dressing" In Port Moresby

Former ANGAU Chief Severely Critical of Australia's New Guinea Policy

Jyjajor-General B. M. Morris, Who

commanded the Australian Eighth . Military District in 1941-42, and me Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit after 1942, and who himself was occasionally criticised during that commdnd, recently severely criticised the Australian Government’s policy in New Guinea.

General Morris relinquished his command last June, and is now living in retirement in Melbourne. Apart from his y J

general duties in Papua - New Guinea during the war, he spent the last eight months there in touring the country and addressed, in all, 60,000 natives. He claims that he knows what they want.

One of the things of which he accuses the present Australian Administration is “wirfdow-dressing” around Port Moresby.

This and other of his criticisms seem well founded; hut it is doubtful if General Morris will be able to sway the External Territories Department and. its advisors from their fixed purpose, any more than others who have endeavoured to point out the follies of the present system. . . General Morris’ criticism was printed in the Melbourne “Herald ” at some length.

Extracts from the “Herald” report follow: 11HERE were many better ways in which the Government could have begun its rehabilitation programme, said General Morris. One of the scandalous aspects of the Japanese occupation was the killing of all the natives’ pigs, fowls, dogs and cats for food. At the end of the war there were no pigs left in New Guinea.

He suggested to the Minister for Ex ternal Territories (Mr. Ward) that 8.000 pigs should be sent immediately to New Guinea. “A private firm sent a hundred,” he said, “but I’ve never heard of the Government sending even one.”

The rebuilding of Hanuabada village outside Port Moresby at a cost of £llB,OOO was an example of the worst aspects in Government policy. “I like the Hanuabadans, and have many friends among them,” he said, “but they are the laziest, most spoilt and sophisticated natives in the two Territories.”

The Hanuabadans lost their villages, but they were evacuated, fed and received free medical attention for 31 years. Many thousands of other natives were much less fortunate: yet nothing was done for them.

is going to happen to the natives of Matupi, near Rabaul?” he asked. “They lost everything when the Japanese came.

Their village was destroyed and their death rate appalling. When the war was over they were all in wretched condition.

What is the Government and Administra tion doing for them?”

If all the natives who had suffered worse treatment than the Hanuabadans were to be treated similarly, Australia would never be able to pay the bill. But the Hanuabadans were close to Port Moresby, and their village would be good for tourists to see.

They would say after they had seen Hanuabada: “Look what the Government has done for the natives.”

General Morris was carried ashore by natives when Mr. Ward removed his shoes and socks and made his famous paddle to New Guinea.

“He said later he had done it because the natives were suffering from malnu trition,” Genral Morris said. “The truth is that those natives were on full rations —better than many Australians were getting.”

A reasonable approach to the New Guinea question to-day was made more difficult because of the utter lack of knowledge of the Territories among mem bers of Parliament.

“It is most important that there should be a member for the Territory, holding at least a position equivalent to that of the member for the Northern Territory,” he said.

General Morris said he had a great deal of sympathy for the white man in New Guinea he had to develop the country. The native was not yet ad vanced sufficiently mentally to accept his own responsibilities.

It was ridiculous to suggest that the natives should have trade union repre sentatives. Trained district officers were the only men who could look after the natives properly—they were father and mother to them.

“This business of people who don’t know anything about the natives catering for them at Canberra is making a farce of the whole affair.” he said. Natives did not know the value of money, or how to spend it.

One man who was offered as high as £l5 a month for his indenture preferred to go to work for another man for 10/- a month simply because he would then be able to work with a friend from his own tribe.

Canberra was trying to promote an advancement among the natives in one generation that would take at least three.

What the Territories really needed were education and a medical policy.

The old maxim to hasten slowly was the best policy where education was con cerned. To make a sudden upheaval was all wrong. It was stupid to say the natives could decide for themselves.

To-day they had the mental outlook of children of 14, and were entirely lacking in experience. Under the new policy they would inevitably become disgruntled and dissatisfied.