Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

AMONGST the outgoing passengers on “Malaita,” and bound for Buka, via Rabaul, last month, was Father Montauban, one of the pioneer Marist priests of the Northern Solomons area, where he has been working for over 30 years. With headquarters in the Gagan district on the island of Buka, he has been an influence of no mean tonnage among the Buka natives, and was a leavening factor when “cargo cults” made their appearance in the early thirties.

Despite his now ample figure, he was a sufferer from a chest ailment 20 years ago. His treatment was half-a-cupful of kerosene a day an efficient, as well as an economical prescription. He tells an amusing story of the manner in which he maintained his supplies for the treat ment while on sick leave in Australia at that period. In country areas there rarely was a shortage though at times he did have to milk his bed-room lamp.

His greatest difficulty arose when he ar rived in Sydney, where illuminations are electric and kerosene a scarcity. * * ♦ IN pre-War days, the 800-square mile Manus Group seldom basked in the limelight of publicity. But, since the Yanks took it over on Leap Year Day, 1944, something is always happen ing there; and the fact that some Chinese, employed in dismantling mili tary equipment for a Chinese .salvage company, became a bit obstreperous when called to account by the local DO, made headlines in Sydney papers last month.

Ordinarily, the incident would have passed unnoticed, but it so ’happened that a Sydney newspaper correspondent was nosing around the Territory at the time and the story of the Chinese re bellion was sensationally displayed.

There followed, naturally, the usual offi cial denials and contradictions of the re ports as published in the press, leaving the public with the impression that offi cialdom is only happy when working silently behind the iron curtain of press censorship.

The Administration sent from Moresby, by plane, a police party of four European officers and 40 Papuan police, all heavily armed.

There may be some justification for the Chinese claim to extra-territorial rights, for at the same time that the Celestials were allegedly defying the local gendar merie, a Canberra message reported that Australia’s plans for the development of Manus were being retarded by the delay in the departure of the “American forces.”

There’s something sticky about the old Admiralty Islands, somehow.

Once again Judge “Monty” Phillips had a delicate situation on his hands, while filling the job of Deputy Administrator.

This was by no means the first time the Judge was called unon to cope with well publicised incidents. The 1937 Rabaul eruption occurred during his deputising, and various ticklish native incidents seem to stage themselves while he is in the box seat. But he always proves him self equal to the emergency. * * « TALKING again of publicity, in rela tion to the Territories, reminds me of the featured items in the Sydney press alleging crashed airmen being stranded in the Witu Group. (For some

reason the papers all spelt it “Vitu,”) According to reports, officialdom was all on its toes, and officers were going to fly here, there and everywhere. Readers were given the impression that a new Shangri-La was about to be staged.

Boiled down, it appears some NEI natives in a sampan had been blown off their course and marooned in the fertile Witu Group which should not present any particular hardships to anyone. * * * MICK LEAHY and John Black are out after the elusive ‘weight’ round about the Wabag area, northwest of Mount Hagen. This is part of the country traversed by James Taylor and John Black when on their famous Mount Hagen expedition in 1939; and, although everything was very hush-hush concern ing mineral discoveries at the time, speculation was rife, and it won’t be sur prising if the Leahy Boys, plus John Black, unearth something pretty good.

But strangers will be cautious about entering the area because of the natives’ touchiness. Jim Taylor says that it was here, at Wabag, that he made friendly contact with the natives, and the head man was in tears when the expedition departed. He goes on to relate how, three days later, the same natives at tacked a party of his police boys, killing a bugler-boy and wounding others.

As natives can apparently do no wrong in NG, it will require some tactful man oeuvermg by prospectors in this particu lar neck of the woods to avoid being beaten to the draw and, in the event of any casualties, being able to prove self defence against folk like the headman who sheds crocodile tears.

MENTION in last month’s “PIM”

Fmschhafen Notes of “cargo cult” activities reminds me of a remark an old-timer passed the other day when describing his arrival at a native village along the Madang coast. He was greeted by the locals rising and shouting: “God Save Yali!”

That particular individual is one of the local “cargo” leaders. They might be excused if the cry were changed to “God Save New Guinea!” * * * MANY Rabaulites will remember the tall, jovial, hanpy matron of the military nurses Lieutenant K. I. Parker who was stationed at Rabaul with the AIF troops and later became a POW in Japan. Last month she was awarded the distinction of As sociate of the Royal Red Cross, Lieut.

M. J. Anderson, of Grafton, also received the award. Other nursing sisters in Rabaul at the time, who were mentioned in despatches, were Lieuts, D. C. Keast, I. N. White, E. M. Callaghan and M. C.

Cullen. * * « BITS AND PIECES: Mrs. Iris Schmidt and her daughter are in Sydney on holiday from Rabaul. . . “Mer kur,” sailing about the end of the month, will call at Lae and Madang. . . E. San som, of the District Services staff, is down on holidays, looking as fit as ever . . . Mr. and Mrs. W. Mossman have returned to Port Moresby. . . Mrs.

Warner and four-year-old son travelled in “Malaita” to Samarai recently.