Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

THAT famous ship “Bulolo,” after doing such a fine war job as an auxiliary cruiser, is back on the New Guinea run once again, and catered for the Islands tourist crowd in almost pre-war style, taking some sixty-odd round trippers for a sight of those “calm waters, beautiful scenery and interesting people” for which BP tours have long been noted.

Skipper Rothery was master as the newly renovated liner cast off last month, bound for Moresby, Lae and Rabaul. * * * SPEAKING of the “Bulolo”: It is doubt ful if any other merchantman, turned into an auxiliary cruiser for war service, has such a fine record as HMS “Bulolo.” A plaque in BP’s Sydney office shows some of the high-lights of its war years: Atlantic, 1939-42 Convoys and patrols; Algiers, 1942, Admiral Burrough; Casablanca, 1943, Communications ship; For Churchill at the Roosevelt Conference; Sicily, July 1943, Admiral Troubridge; Anzio, Admiral Troubridge; Normandy, June 1944, Admiral Douglas-pennant; Malaya, September 1945, Admiral Martin; Singapore, September, 1945, Surrender of Japanese; Naval services terminated December 5, 1946.

“Bulolo” certainly got around. * * * APPEARS that Australia is becoming more abo-conscious. State abos are to have a Federal vote—with a few restrictions—but ACT and NT natives must wait a while yet. It has always struck me that the Australian abo is having a far thinner time than our Papuan or New Guinea natives, where everything that opens and shuts is made available to them. The reason, of course, is that international critics have had their eyes on those territories for more than the past two decades, while no League or Trusteeshio set-up bothers about Binghi. Which only goes to show that native welfare—where a government is concerned—is more a political than a social affair, in order to avoid adverse criticism of government policy. * * * INCIDENTALLY, while on this Trustee ship question, it is a propos to read again at this stage Article 73 of that

much-discussed Atlantic Charter. After setting out that the interests of the in habitants of Trusteeship territories must be paramount, and accepted as a “sacred trust” (which is the same phraseology employed m the Terms of Mandate), the responsible government will also “Ensure, with respect for their culture, their political, economic, social and educational advancement, just treatment, and their, protection against abuses.” The emphasis is mine, to remind the Powers-That-Be that all the “advancement” and civilising tactics should be made with due regard to the culture of the native peoples, not with respect to our own Western culture A rather important factor which is often overlooked.

Another important and far-reaching clause is (D) in Article 76 where, in des cribing the basic objectives of the Trusteeship system, it says: “Ensure equal treatment in social, economic and com mercial matters for all members of the United Nations and their nationals, and also equal treatment for the latter in the administration of justice without preju dice to the foregoing objectives.”

And that means waterside workers not withstanding. * * * EVEN Big Business has native rights and tolerance at the back of its mind these days. Thus an advertise ment in a recent Sydney paper, inserted by a “firm of trading merchants in the South Seas,” seeking an executive officer, the desirable qualifications included “sympathetic attitude to coloured people, who form the majority of the firm’s cus tomers and staff.”

It seems to me that everyone is be coming far more colour-conscious than is necessary. It’s being thrust upon the world, whereas in the past it was just accepted without undue emphasis. * * * INDICATIONS are that the old Planters and Traders’ Association of New Guinea is launching out in a big way once again. One hears little these days of the comparatively newly-formed Citizens Committee in Rabaul, and even less of the one-time flourishing Pacific Territories Association. It is to be hoped that private enterprise will co-ordinate and form One Big Association capable of handling all questions in connection with unofficial interests, be they great or small One good substantial bark from a watch

dog is better than half-a-dozen yappings from an unorganised band.

The Papuan Planters’ Association can take a bow, for it appears to be away to a good start —and it will need it for there’s much to be done. * * * PAUL MASON, who collected both the British and the American DSC’s for his outstanding Coastwatching job, particularly in Bougainville, during the war, was responsible for a “NOTIS” put out by the Japanese Navy, and which appears in Sir Harry Luke’s latest book “From a South Seas Diary”—an interest ing description of his experiences in Fiji and the Pacific whilst he occupied the position of High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

The “Notis” is in execrable Pidgin, with a Jap twist to it. It instructs all natives to seek for and hold “sam fala man i salim tok log ol waitman” (some fellow man who send him talk along all white men); and promises pains and penalties thereanent.

But even that didn’t stop Paul from tick-tacking the warning messages of approaching Jap bombers to the Yanks down in Guadalcanal. ♦ ♦ ♦ BITS AND PIECES: Bishop Wade, of the Northern Solomons, Is in Sydney on business in connection with his vicariate. Intends returning to Bougain ville sometime in October ... Thirty three passengers for Moresby sailed in “Montoro” on August 25. The vessel was on its way to Singapore. “Malaita,” which left Sydney two days later carried, 28 passengers for Samarai, 11 for Lae, one for Moresby, seven for Rabaul and one for Madang Miss P. Malone sailed for Rabaul last month; she will marry John Leeuwln-Clark. He met her while serving with the RAAF in England during the war. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Percy Blanden have returned to Wau after re ceiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in an air-crash several months ago.

The Qantas-New Guinea service, which runs from Sydney to Lae on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with an ex tension once a week to Rabaul, now carries passengers between Sydney and Queens land towns at the same rates as are charged by the Other Australian air transport Companies.