No Infiltration Vet

But P-NG Residents Would Like More Border Patrols

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Sept. 6.

RESIDENTS of Papua-New Guinea do not believe that there has been any Indonesian infiltration into the Ter ritory vet, but they think that border patrols" should be increased as a pre- Ca, They have been disturbed to realise that the Territory is wide open to infiltration from Dutch New Guinea. Only a hand ful of European officers and native police are in a position to watch the Dutch New Guinea border and they cannot hope to patrol more than a fraction of the 500 miles frontier. Indonesians could cross the border and spend months stirring up trouble among the natives before the Aus tralian authorities heard about their ac tivities. Residents feel, however, that the time to get really worried will be when, or if. the Indonesians take over Dutch New Guinea. “If that happens we can be sure of trouble,” they say. Even then, they think that the danger would come more from Indonesian propaganda than from direct Indonesian action.

Said one old Territorian: “If the In donesians took Dutch New Guinea they would soon have the natives hating us.

We must do all we can to guard against f this.” One local suggestion is that the native militia battalion when it is formed, should be given the job of guarding the bolder. At present, there are only three outposts near the border. One is at Vanimo on the north coast; the second at Telefomin in the centre; and the third at Lake Murray in the south. The area is the least developed in Papua-New Guinea. Natives move freely between Australian and Dutch New Guinea on fishing or trading trips.

Residents feel that the recently an nounced defence measures will be ade quate at present, but not if the Indonesians occupy Dutch New Guinea.

It is suggested that instead of going to the trouble of creating a new set-up for the native militia, the Territory’s native police force should be enlarged from its present strength of 2,400 and given military training. Rifle instruction is al ready part of the police training course.

Some residents think that the native militia should be more than one battalion.

One high Administration official estimates that 3,000 natives could be recruited with out much effect on the Territory’s economy. It is pointed out that native militia will be much cheaper to maintain than a European force of the same size.

It is felt that the natives, with the right training, would be the ideal troops for this country. Port Moresby RSL would like to see Moresby re-established as a big defence base, or, at least, as an Air Force base. Said RSL President Fred Edwards: “The Air Force should never have been withdrawn from here.”

Residents have doubts about the effec tiveness of Manus base. There has been no air or naval movement to indicate that the base is being strengthened. Side by side with the Indonesian threat, in the minds of Territorians, is the Communist menace. A few years ago, several Com munists were openly active in Moresby.

They are blamed for the only strike by native wharflabourers here. The natives struck for higher pay and got it, but there have been no more strikes anywhere in the Territory since then. Communists are also said to have tried to persuade native houseboys in Moresby to demand more pay. These Communists have now gone.

New Guinea, with its 3,000 Chinese, is regarded as the main danger area.