War Damage

No Compensation For

One BSI Planter Speaks His Mind

Letter xo the Editor THE following is the text of an official announcement: Public Notice—War Damage Compensation: It is hereby notified for public information that, after careful consideration of War Damage Claims Commission reports on all claims sub mitted to him for property lost or damaged as a result of war in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony and British Solomon Islands Protectorate and bearing in mind that the normal revenues of these Territories are insufficient to meet their recurrent costs of administration and that the principal factor to be considered is the degree to which payments by way of compen sation are in fact needed to effect rehabilitation or to restore economic productivity, the High Commissioner has been unable to recommend to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the pay ment of any war damage compensation to these Territories.

A British Government should be ashamed to publish such a notice. It is not even accurate. The normal revenue of the BSI was sufficient to meet its re current cost of administration, as was evidenced by the annually recurring sur pluses in the pre-war period.

But the Protectorate certainly is unable to meet the abnormal public expenditure wished on to it against public opinion by the post-war Planners of Whitehall. And that is one of the grounds upon which War Damage Compensation is being evaded!

The Notice is roaring nonsense, which ever way you look at it —outraging our intelligences; adding insult to injury.

In simple, honest terms we could have been notified: “That in view of the parlous condition of United Kingdom finances, and because no reparations will be forthcoming from Japan (as it is now Allied policy to rehabilitate the ex-enemy at your expense) His Majesty’s Govern ment has agreed that there should be no war damage compensation, etc., etc.”

The war-stricken settlers of the Solo mons would have understood and thanked the British Government for such a bitter, but honest statement.

Outside of the realms of lunacv or evasion, when, or by whom, was it ever contemplated that these war-ravaged Islands would be the source from which war damage compensation would, or could be paid?

Imagine a National Disaster —a great bush fire or flood ravaging a countryside; and then the dulcet tones of a National Government bleating across the havoc and the waste: “In view of the fact that the revenues of the Local Council are in adequate to meet the cost of fire or flood damage, the National Government has agreed that there should be no Relief payments to ruined farmers.” Nunc Dimittio!

I am, etc.,

Leslie F. Gill.

Vella Lavella,

Bsi.