Us Progress In

Micronesia

Government of Six Races

. CHICAGO Daily News man Mr A Q Weller who made many george Weller who p made wbrld War n has had a wander through the newly-created American Trust Ter of Micronesia (Caroline, Marshall and Manana Islands) and he made some interesting statements in San Francisco „ DDear that , lthoueh the uniteJsmtes * pt un a

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Stal S teation Zch o P f ?he actual work of administration is carried out by Navy personnel, using Navy instrumentalities esneciallv shins The latter is an imnort

anV coMldeFatloi—these archipelagoes

contain only 50,000 natives, and they are more widely scattered than any other island groups in the world. T\ESCRIBING the varied problems MJ faced by the Navy in this task, Mr. . Weller said the Navy is doing a good job and the islands should not be turned over to a civilian agency, Visioning the terrific increase m the already high living costs of the islands, if commercial shipping rates on all sup phes were to be applied, Mr. Weller said th&t th. 6 tremendous problem of covering distances is one of the reasons why the Interior Department should not take over, The ba rg p ain t 0 the is i an ders in not having to gay the Navy salaries of some 50 officers and 150 enlisted men in Naval government, nor the upkeep of the ships used in island transportation, was cited by Mr Weller as another rea son for aid ing the islanders by retaining Navy ad ministration, (Continued Next Page)

“I expected to find a lot of worn-out captains only interested in comfortable living. Instead I found the work being done by lieutenants, from the Monterey school for civilian affairs officers.

“Most of them displayed a real interest in their jobs and a pride in what they have achieved.”

He continued, “All in all, our control of Micronesia (with approval of the United Nations) is a tremendous bargain in American security. The annual cost is 2,250,000 dollars—a figure only slightly loaded in that it does not include the cost of upkeep of Navy ships nor Navy pay.”

MR. WELLER suggested two adjust ments he felt the Navy should make in administration. He said: “The people out there are not one race, but six, sharply distinguishable—as dif ferent from one another as are the peoples of Europe. If they have any common language, it is Japanese, picked up during the 20 years of Jap occupation., “Sure, they have similarities. They are dark of skin and live in a warm climate.

Their economies are somewhat similar— a copra base. But there is as much dif ference between the canoe culture of the Carolines and the juke box culture of Guam as between the American Indians and Bronx.

“A basic misunderstanding is apparent in the sometime too general policies passed down from the office of the Trust Territories Commissioner in Hawaii. Even the second echelon, based in Guam, is too far from the scene. Operational headquarters should be in Truk, and the Navy is considering moving them there.

“The second adjustment deals with the economic growth of the 50,000 islanders.

Current policy is a protective one—to keep out all exploitation.”

Mi’. Weller said that he preferred the Japanese plan, under which some indus tries were established, and if the natives were exploited, they also profited by it.

Weller said he is for that.

He also hoped to see the tourist trade exploited and encouraged, letting “primi tive races” and the atomic age people mingle for their mutual good.