Third Session Of S. Pacific Commission

New Body Settles To Work in Noumea

Noumea, May 9.

THE Third Session of the South Pacific Commission opened in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 7, at

the recently-established permanent

headquarters of the Commission, with delegations in attendance from the six member nations Australia, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Governor-General Cournarie, of New Caledonia, welcomed the dele gations at the Commission head quarters in the Pentagon.

“The subject of your activities wakes a great feeling of interest among all the French population of the Pacific,” said the Governor-General.

“The co-operative research that you undertake, seeking the ways and means that could be used by the participating Governments to improve the living condi tions of man, and to promote along rational lines the economy of countries, is so closely related to the aims that France has always had in view in all the territories of the French Union, that we are bound to give you our fullest assis tance and to wish to play a useful part in the studies and research work that you are going to undertake. We are convinced that their outcome will be successful, not only because substantial advantages will come out of it, but mostly because the existence of your Commission will pro mote cultural intercourse between terri tories separated by large expanses of sea, and bring them to know, to understand and to appreciate each other better, and to achieve better work in common. Thus, outside of any political action, by a goodwill accomplishment, the South Paci fic Territories will play an honourable part in bringing peace throughout the world.”

M. R. Lassalle-Sere, Permanent Com missioner for Prance, as chairman of the Second Session, thanked the New Cale donia administration for its efforts in es tablishing the Commission at its Noumea headquarters, and praised the Secretary- General, the Secretariat and members of the Research Council, for the work they had accomplished.

Mr. J. B. D. Pennink (Netherlands Minis ter at Wellington, NZ, and Senior Commis sioner for the Netherlands) assumed the chairmanship of the Third Session, in conformation with the Commission policy of rotating the chairmanship to each member government in alphabetical order.

“All those who have come here from different parts are working for one com mon purpose—international co-operation in furthering the welfare of non-self governing peoples in the South Pacific,” said Chairman Pennink. He said that much investigation and research would have to be undertaken in several branches of science in the wide territory that the Commission has as its responsibility, while the Commission, at its home in Noumea, would have to build up its organisation, to form the basis of fruitful work and success in the future.

DELEGATION S present represented the member nations as follows:

Australia

Acting Senior Commissioner: Rev. Dr. J. W.

Burton, ex-President General Methodist Church of Australia.

Acting Commissioner: Dr. J. T. Gunther, Director Public Health, Papua-New Guinea.

Alternate Commissioner: Mr. T. A. Pyman, Officer

in Charge of South Pacific Section, Pacific Division, Department of External Affairs, Canberra.

Advisers: Mr. W. C. Groves, Director of Edu cation, Papua-New Guinea; and Mr. H. S.

Barnett, Australian Consul, Noumea.

Secretary: Mr. M. F. Manning, Acting Officer in Charge, International Convention and Re search Section, Department of Internal Territories, Canberra.

France

Senior Commissioner: M. Robert F. J. Lassalle- Sere, Inspector-General of Colonies.

Commissioner: M. Pierre C. J. Bonnard, Directeur du Cabinet du Haut-Commissaire de France dans le Pacifiquie, Noumea.

Adviser: M. Alfred H. Fourcade, Administrator of Colonies, Noumea.

Netherlands

Senior Commissioner: Mr. J. B. D. Pennink, Netherlands Minister, Wellington.

Commissioner: Mr. A. J. Beversluis, Senior Official at the Department of Social Affairs, Batavia.

Alternate Commissioner: Mr. G. P. K. van Eechoud, Resident Magistrate, Hollandia.

Advisers: Mr. A. H. Hasselman, Secretary, Netherlands Legation, Canberra; Mr. F.

Verkuyl, Netherlands Consul, Noumea.

Adviser-Secretary: Mr. J. Boerwinkel, Officer of the General Secretariat of the Government of Indonesia, Batavia.

New Zealand

Senior Commissioner: Mr. C. G. R. McKay, formerly Secretary of Department of Island Territories.

Commissioner: Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Voelcker, DSO, formerly Administrator of Western Samoa.

Adviser: Mr. R. Hunter Wade, Assistant Official Secretary, Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand in Australia.

United Kingdom

Senior Commissioner: Sir Brian Freeston, KCMG, OBE, Governor of Fiji, High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

Commissioner; Mr. H. H. Vaskess, CMG. OBE, formerly Secretary, Western Pacific High Commission.

Secretary: Miss A. Harcourt.

United States

Senior Commissioner: Dr. Felix M. Keesing, Pro fessor of Anthropology, Stanford University.

Commissioner: Mr. Orsen N. Nielsen, US Consul- General, Sydney.

Advisers: Dr. Douglas Oliver, Department of State, Washington: Mr. Robert R. Robbins, Department of State, Washington; Commander William J. Germershausen, Jr., USN.

Secretary: Miss Orpha Soine.

The Commission has a large and im portant Agenda, much of it representing submissions by the Research Council.

First Meeting of Research

Council

THE first meeting of the Research Council of the South Pacific Commission opened on April 30 at Noumea, with Dr. J. T. Gunther (part time member for health), Director of

Public Health, Papua-New Guinea,

elected as chairman for the confer ence.

The Secretary - General, W. D.

Forsyth, welcomed the members at the first session.

Full-time Research Council members present included: Prof. Dr. L. G. M. Baas Becking, Deputy Chairman; Dr. E. Massal, health: Dr.

H. G. MacMillan, economic development; H. E.

Maude, social development (acting). Part-time members in attendance were:— Dr. H. de Rook, health, Chief Medical Officer, NNGPM, Sorong, Netherlands, New Guinea; Lieut. L. A. Jachowski, USN. health, Head, Filariasis Research, Pago Pago, American Samoa (alternate for Capt. W. P. Stephens, USN); Dr. J. C. Lopdell, health, Chief Medical Officer, Western Samoa; Dr. F. Bugnicourt, economic development, Director. Institut Francais d’Oceanie, Noumea: Dr. Douglas Oliver, economic development, Department of State, Washington (alternate for Dean K. A. Ryerson); B. E. V. Parham, economic development.

Senior Agricultural Officer, Suva, Fiji; J. G. Crawford, economic development, Director Commonwealth Bureau of Agricultural Econo mics, Canberra, Maurice Grangie, social development, Director of Education, New Caledonia;

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