Rouses Fijian Anger
p. 13 · Read in the full issue
“Effrontery!”
Indian Insolence Again
Prom Our Own Correspondent
Suva, Oct. 1
Ratu Edward Cakobau, A Major
in the Army during the war, winner of the Military Cross in the Solo mons campaign, and not long returned to Fiji after completing an administrative course at Wadham College, Oxford, pro vided one of the bright spots in the just-ended session of Fiji’s Legislative Council.
Almost incredibly, the Indians had had the temerity to come up with another bland reference to the fact that as “loyal subjects of his Majesty in Fiji” they be lieved they had absolutely equal status with the British in the trusteeship over the Fijians conferred on Queen Victoria by the Deed of Cession in 1874.
Eyes were turned from the Indian facade of smooth assurance to what seemed to be the contemptuous indiffer ence of the five Fijian members.
Later, a spectator in the public gallery said that he had sat “petrified with fear that the Indians would be allowed to get away with that insult again”.
When Ratu Edward rose to speak (the debate was on the “constitutional” motion that misfired) he dealt with the motion and went through the points raised by other speakers with unassum ing efficiency. Then, without warning, out it came: “How a race which, just three years ago, not only made no contribution to the war effort but even sabotaged the war effort, has the effrontery to claim equal relationship with the British in trusteeship of the Fijian people is past comprehension,” said Ratu Edward, in a tone that expressed Fijian anger at this repeated insolence even better than his carefully-chosen words.
There was a moment’s pause before he went on to score a point off an Indian who had spoken of the Secretary of State for the Colonies as “the greatest dictator of the age, who sits in 10 Downing Street.”
Ratu Edward put the Indian member right about the address and informed him that the “dictator” happened to be an elected member of the House of Com mons.
But for all that there is no assurance anywhere that the Indians will not per sist in their trusteeship theory, more particularly as regards the Fijians’ owner ship of land.
Well-Known Ng
Family
A recent photograph of the Deland family, now of Adelaide, but also well known in New Guinea. Front row: Mrs. Deland, Dr. C. M. Deland and Curtis Deland, holding his small sister Marion, newly christened. Back row: Michael, Raymond, Peter and Donald Deland.