Sir Peter Buck Remains

A British Citizen

THERE have been persistent rumours of late throughout Maoridom that Sir Peter H. Buck (Te Rangihiroa), upon whom was conferred a knighthood in the Birthday Honours List of 1946, has become an American citizen (said Wellington, NZ, “Evening Post” in May).

While it has not been ventilated in the New Zealand press, the “Pacific islands Monthly” (a Sydney journal with a wide Pacific circulation) made mention of it in a recent issue.

New Zealand friends were surprised at this persistent report, and could not be lieve that Sir Peter, having accepted an honour from the King, (one that placed him in the same category as the late Sir James Carroll, as KCMG) would have relinquished his British citizenship.

However, it can be stated that Sir Peter is still a British citizen and intends to remain one. In an air-mail letter to hand he writes: “I had jdecided to re main a British subject before the knight hood was conferred upon me, and I pro pose to remain a British subject until the end of the chapter ... In spite of the evil days before the British Empire, there is something about the flag that stirs up the memories of one’s youth and training, and gives one a thrill of pride to belong to it.

“With regard to this matter of Ameri can citizenship you have my authority to say that it is definitely abandoned by me,” Sir Peter continued, “and that any rumours to the contrary are incorrect.”

Recapitulating the history of the move to make him a citizen of the United States, Sir Peter stated that he could not become one under the exist ing law, as an applicant had to be of more than 50 per cent. Caucasian extraction.

Despite the evidence of anthropologists to the contrary the Polynesians, he says, are still classed as Orientals. As Sir Peter is half Irish and half Maori he could, therefore, claim only 50 per cent.

Caucasian extraction.

Some friends, however, introduced the question in the Legislature of Hawaii.

That House passed a resolution asking Congress to admit him to American citizenship by a special Act of Congress.

The United States Attorney-General, however, reported unfavourably on the Bill, as President Roosevelt was opposed to special acts except under exceptional circumstances.

“Nevertheless, the Committee of the House of Representatives regarded my case as being exceptional and voted for it, but the bill evidently was lost in the mazes of the Senate and went no further.

However, I felt that I had made my gesture of appreciation to the United States, and I asked the Delegate to Con gress from Hawaii to drop the whole matter.

“I agreed with the late President, and like him held that a more comprehensive Act should be passed to admit Samoans and other Polynesians to American citizenship. Under the present Act the Samoans in American Samoa cannot be come American citizens. A Bill is now being brought before Congress to allow people of the Pacific to qualify. How ever, I had decided before the knighthood was conferred upon me to remain a British subject to the end of the chapter.”

Sir Peter’s statement is corroborated by earlier correspondence. He once de clared: “I was bom a British subject and intend to die a British subject!” The move to make him an American citizen took place during the war years, and did not progress beyond the Senate. It has not been revived since then. Sir peter however, would be the first to acknow ledge the great debt he owes to the

American people, who gave him not only the directorship of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and a Chair at Yale University, but also opportunities for research in the various fields in the Pacific, that would never have come his way if he had remained a public servant in New Zealand.

Sir Peter and Lady Buck are due in Auckland by the “Aorangi” in January.

The former will attend the Pan-Pacific Science Congress in Auckland and Christchurch, and together they will sub sequently tour the Dominion. This will be their first visit to New Zealand since 1935.