Shooting

Highlands

Belated Statement About New Guinea Incident

AFTER persistent prodding by the Aus tralian newspapers, which had heard some of the many reports in cir culation, the Minister for Territories, Mr.

Ward, on January 20, made a statement about the shooting of natives in the Highlands Division of New Guinea.

The Minister said the incident occurred last July. A native police party, tem porarily in charge of an inexperienced patrol officer, had some sort of collision with natives in uncontrolled territory, and as a result, five natives of the village of Dika lost their lives.

The matter was reported to the district officer of the division, who had taken action, but had not reported the matter to the Administrator until October.

“I then ordered a full inquiry, and the district officer and the patrol officer in charge of the party were suspended,” Mr. Ward added. “The senior administrative officer, as Inspector of Police, also held an inquiry. After con sideration of information available, the suspension of the officers was removed, and they returned to duty.”

The Minister, in his wisdom, may have considered that an adequate statement; but, in view of the numerous reports in circulation in Australia, it fell far short of what was required.

The incident occurred in the area for which District Officer James H. Taylor is responsible. Mr. Taylor, one of the Ter ritory’s most highly-esteemed senior officers, gave up the Directorship of Native Labour last year in order to return to the work (District Services) which he likes best, and to the territory (Purari- Mount Hagen uplands) which he was the

first to explore, 15 years ago. There is nothing extraordinary in a fatal collision between native police and wild bush natives; but, in this case, there were ex traordinary circumstances. It is alleged that the natives, having thrown their spears or arrows harmlessly, were running away when they were fired upon; and they were hit in the back. When the incident was reported to Mr. Taylor, he recognised its seriousness, and took steps to placate and compensate the native community concerned.

But he made the great mistake of not reporting the incident at once to Port Moresby. He is a man of kind and gen erous disposition, and he evidently tried to protect the youngster who was in charge of the police when the unfortun ate shooting occurred. Consequently, the Administrator knew nothing about it until a report reached him through mis sionary channels.

Colonel Murray then took very drastic steps. Mr. Taylor and the patrol officer were suspended and brought to Port Moresby; Mr. Ivan Champion was de tached from the Assistant Directorship of Native Labour and sent to report on the whole affair. One report said that the young patrol officer was charged with murder, and Mr. Taylor with being an accessory after the fact, or something like that. It is certain that Mr. Taylor was in Sydney for a brief time, and very con cerned with the position that had arisen.

However, Mr. MacDonald s report tended to exonerate the two officers from che more serious charges; early in January they were reinstated in the Service.

The fundamental error was made by Mr. Taylor in not immediately report ing the matter. A bad thing was made worse by the failure of Administrator or Minister, or both, to make some sort of public statement, and thus allowing a lot of fantastic stories to get into cir culation.