Disturbed Maxives

Recent events on Kai Of New Guinea

Letter to the Editor 1 NOTICED in the March copy of the “PIM,” a short article dealing with the new “Cargo” movement, extending along the Madang coast as far as the Ramu River. Also, it is said that there is a great demand upon the missionaries in the area.

I do not know where this report came from; but I knew that area before the war, and I was there during the war, and I have only just left there. I can say that I do not know anything about that movement. On the contrary, I do know that things in general in the area are just the opposite to what the article says.

I do know that, pre-war, the mission aries in that area had most of the natives well under the thumb. Such has not been the case since the war; the mission aries are not nearly as popular as they were.

While we were still on active service here in New Guinea, alien missionaries were allowed to return to this area, to try to get the natives back into the fold. After the armistice was signed, we had to go through all the red tape in the world to get permission to live in the country, and yet the alien missionaries are allowed in without question—and they did nothing for the country when there was a war on!

The natives definitely did not want mis sionaries back here, but they were forced on to the natives. It was the habit of the mission, pre-war, to get natives to do various jobs, such as erecting mission buildings, carrying cargo and other jobs.

Natives were always expected to do all of this work free of charge, and now they demand payment for labour or native foods or timber supplied.. Several cate chists (mission helpers) have left the mission and gone to work for other men or concerns. They maintain that if they have to work, they may as well get paid for it.

I know that the missions have been trying to educate some of the younger natives in the area, but, by what I have seen of it, I maintain that it is not successful.

I heard some young natives recently singing the popular song “Daisy, Daisy” in English. They were young natives that I knew. I asked them if they could tell me what they were singing about, and they were not able to do so.

Some of the older natives in the area would like to be able to read and write in English but they realise that it takes too much time to learn.

QUITE recently there was a native from the Rai Coast and his offsiders, doing a walking trip from the Rai Coast, along the coast, up to the Sepik River and back. I have not been able to find out what was the idea of this trip; but I do know that he had to be supplied with food at every Government station. I was in the Bogia area when he went through and I had a talk with him. This par ticular native was connected with the Allied Intelligence Bureau during the war was decorated, has done a trip to Aus tralia, and is now just a big-headed boy.

I am thinking that this trip that he has recently done may cause a riot—just as another one of his kind, ex-Sgt.-Maj.

Simogum, caused a riot in Wewak this time last year, and was not punished for It.

I that when this Yali walked along the Madang coast, he was welcomed as the black king, and most of the things

that he told the natives were taken notice o f. it was he who told all natives that they would have to get closer to all white men, so as to learn what we kjiow, and at a later date they would be rather a clever race of people. It was also he who told all natives that they were to collect payment for work done and for goods supplied to the mission. He stated that any non-mission man along the coast would have to pay for anything he received from the natives, and mission aries should do the same Yali caused a great deal of trouble be tween the natives themselves and prob

ably between indentured labourers and their employers. I make the latter state ment because I was one who was affected.

My work takes me about a great deal from place to place and I have a small line of natives, that accompanies me.

Just after Yali had passed through the area, I had to move on again; and two of the boys of my line stated that they would have to contact Yali and get his permission before they could move on to the next place with me. I was not con sidered at all—l was just the employer who had the two boys on contract and yet they had to get permission from a big-headed ex-Sgt.-Maj. who was being welcomed as a black king.

The two boys did not have to get per mission from Yali for me to take them to the nearest government station, pay them what money was owing to them and put them on a boat the same day, to go to their villages. I am thinking that those two were two sadder and wiser boys.

Before Yali came through the area, the natives feared the mission to a certain extent. Thev did not want the mission there, but they did work without pay ment. There has been a big difference since Yali came through. The natives will not work without payment and some of the natives have demanded payment in ad vance.

The article in the “PIM” stating that there is a great demand on the mission aries in the area is not true. If anybody will prove to me that it is true, I shall apologise.

I am, etc.,

New Guineaite

Madang, NG. 29/5/47.

Editor's Note: The article to which our correspondent refers was, in fact, two distinctly separate articles. One in April, which mentions the activities of Yali; and* the other, a short paragraph, in March, which stated that the natives be lieved that the much heralded arrival of their Cargo hinged upon their learn ing to speak English: “Therefore there is a great demand upon the missionaries of the area to teach them English as soon as possible.”