Sullen Natives

Missionary’s Report From Solomon Islands

THE natives are practically in open re bellion against the British Govern ment throughout the Solomon Islands.

Mr. W. T. Wade, a member of the staff of the South Sea Evangelical Mission, said in a luncheon address in Wellington, NZ, on November 2. The atmosphere of

rebellion he attributed to the Marching Rule movement, which began in a very small way during the war, and had flared up in the last couple of years.

During the war many natives had worked as labourers for the American forces, who had been very generous to them, he said. The natives began to think white men must have such things to give away freely and asked themselves why the British Government, planters and missionaries had not treated them similarly. The Marching Rule movement was strongly anti-British and pro-United States.

The natives would not even co-operate

as well as before with planters and mis sionaries. Many Christian natives were involved in the movement and were getting religion and politics hopelessly confused.

The Tokelau Islands (population 1,373) are well endowed with officials, according to the annual report of the New Zealand Department of Island Territories. The three atolls in the group each has a magistrate, mayor, clerk and postal officer, wireless operator and weather reporter, chief of police, police, wardress, doctor, nurse, and male dresser. All are natives.

Missionary

Returns:

The Rev. Fr, W.

O’Connell, who returned to Syd ney recently after a holiday in Ireland. He will go on to a mission station in New Britain where he has been for the past ten years.

During the Jap invasion he suf fered severely.