Minister’S Visit To

Papua-N. Guinea

Policy Statement After Inspection

SOME of Papua-New Guinea’s most pressing problems—created partly by war devastation, and partly by the Socialist twist given to post-war ad ministration by Mr. E. J. Ward and his iriends—will be examined on the spot, about the middle of April, by Australia’s new Minister for External territories, Mr. P. c. Spender.

Mr. Spender proposes to leave Sydney very soon after the Commonwealth Par liament goes into the Easter recess and, travelling by air, he will visit most of the Territories centres. He hopes to meet a thoroughly representative* cross section of Territories interests—officials, non-officials (especially planters, mis sionaries, miners), and Chinese.

If it can be arranged, Mr. Spender may return to Sydney via the British Solomons and the New Hebrides. He has given no official explanation of his prob able tour in this direction—but the writing is more or less on the wall. (See article on page 30 of this issue.) Commencing with the Administrator, whom he saw in Canberra at the end of February, Mr. Spender has had innum erable interviews with persons interested in Territories affairs, and has gathered much information about Territories con ditions. Except in certain cases where action cannot be longer delayed, he does not intend to make recommendations to Cabinet until he returns from New Guinea; but, about the end of April, he will make an important policy state ment, in which far-reaching develop ments and changes will be announced.

AS Minister for External Affairs, Mr.

Spender is deeply concerned with events in the Pacific, Indonesia and Asia, and these matters, to some extent, tie in with Australian plans relating to Papua-New Guinea. The Minister, for example, is watching develooments in Dutch New Guinea and Indonesia with lively interest. (See leading article.) The President of the Philippines has invited Mr. Spender to visit the Republic at an early date; and the Australian Minister proposes to leave Sydney for Manila about March 24. Mr. Spender, on recent occasions, has said that the Aus tralian Prime Minister is in favour of a Pacific Pact, provided that such a Pact is supported by the United States. This will be a subject for discussion in Manila.

Included among the matters to which the new Minister is giving personal at tention are the future price of copra and the position in relation to the New Guinea Copra Stabilisation Fund—now believed to be in the vicinity of £500,000. There may be an announcement about this be fore Easter.

It is understood that Mr. Spender will have, as his Ministerial Assistant, Mr.

House, member for Calare. It was ex pected that this Under-Secretaryship would go to Mr. Paul Hasluck, a new West Australian member, but he is en gaged on a war history and will not be available for Ministerial work for six months.

Dr. D. W. Hoodless, retired principal of the Central Medical School, Suva, who went to Tarawa (G and E Colony) re cently to assist temporarily with the medical work of the Colony, has returned to Suva The European medical staff in the Colony now is reduced to two; and it should not be less than six. Administra tive conditions in the Colony are blamed for this situation.