Distressed Natives

Alleged Heavy Loss by Famine in Bougainville

BECAUSE of the great disruption of native village life in Bougainville during the war, and particularly be cause of the destruction of native gar dens, and the theft by the Japanese of native pigs and other foodstuffs, the natives of Bougainville are suffering great privations and it is estimated that at least 8,000 of them have died.

This information has been conveyed to the Australian Government by Monsignor James Hannan, formerly Australian Dir ector of Roman Catholic Missions in the Pacific and now a missionary in Bougain ville. He has been visiting Melbourne.

In 1940, before the war with Japan, there were between 30,000 and 40,000 natives in Bougainville, and Monsignor Hannan says that he estimates that at least one quarter of these people have perished. He is asking the Australian Government to rush emergency supplies of food to the natives, otherwise there will be further heavy losses.

Do’S Reply

Monsignor hannan’s statements were challenged on April 3 by Dis trict Officer Farlow, who reported from Bougainville as follows: “Reports from patrol officers show that there is an abundance of peanuts, kau kau (sweet potato), melons and other native foods. There is certainly a short age of taro due to some disease left be hind by Japanese, but that is the only native food not in full supply.

“Due to bad treatment from the Jap anese, our natives were in poor condi tion when we took over.’ They were fed for a year by ANGAU, and are gradually regaining their health. The death-rate has been high in some places, due to starvation of the natives by the Japan ese. We are rapidly rectifying the posi tion, and the present death-rate is not out of the ordinary.”