The Editors' Mailbag

USA Monopolises a Name

THE Americans, with an unusual lack of imagination, have named their Micronesian ad ministration, “the United States Trust Territory of Pacific Islands.”

The Territory comprises the well known Micronesian groups of Palau, Carolines, Marshalls and Marianas.

The groups were held originally by the Spaniards; sold, or lost in war, by Spain, and became part of the German colonial empire; were handed over under Mandate to Japan in 1920, and were annexed and added to their Empire by the Japs in 1933; and then handed over to the Americans as a Trust Terri tory after World War 11.

The total area of the lot is only 715 square miles (they were called “Micronesia” because they com prise such a lot of very little islands), and their total population is only 50,000. Yet they now are called “the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,” irrespective of the fact that, apart from Philippines and Hawaii, all the Pacific Islands worth talking about lie south of the equator, and are all British and French.

In order to keep the description within focus and understanding, the four groups should be called “the United States Territory of Micro nesia.”

Picnic in Polynesia, 1914

A FRIENDLY letter from my old friend, Mr. J. D. Campbell, of Turoa, Rarotonga, referring to the fact that we first met in that delightful isle 37 years ago, reminds me of an interesting voyage. The leading characters are long dead, so no one can take offence.

I. a young reporter, was a guest on the NZ Government steamer Tuta nekai, which was taking the Gover nor of New Zealand, the Earl of Liverpool, on a pleasant cool weather trip around the Cook Islands. The skipper was a hard bitten old lad, Captain Post; and the NZ Cabinet Minister accom panying His Ex. was a well educated, temperamental Maori, Dr.

Maui Pomare, afterwards knighted. . Apart from Vice-Royalty, we were a happy party. But His Ex., a tubby, pompous little man, did not mix readily with common rough necks; and his Countess, a pleasant, freckled woman, had no conversa tion beyond her favourite topic of White Leghorns. The captain and the Minister regarded them as a cross hard to bear.

Vice-Royalty retired early, and it was our practice, as we loafed around those quiet tropical seas, and showed the flag wherever de

sirable, to gather each evening at 9.15 in the skipper’s cabin.

The ritual never varied. The Aide drew the cork, the chief engineer poured the shining liquor, the Min ister led us in a round of more or less improper reminiscences; and then the Old Man lifted his glass in the final toast: “Well, gentlemen, I give you their Excellencies, Lord and Lady Liverpill.”

It was a chat with Bob McKegg, there in Rarotonga in May, 1914 which first gave me the idea of the Pacific Islands Monthly—given effect to 16 years later.—RWß.

S. Pacific Commission

Records

A CORRESPONDENT remarks that the only record of the activities of the South Pacific Commission is that published in the Pacific Islands Monthly—and that, more often than not, is only a summary.

This is not correct. The Commis sion now publishes regularly, every three months, what it calls the “SPC Bulletin,” where there is a complete and fairly full record of what the Commission is doing. Anyone re quiring such a record should send 2 - (Sterling) to the Secretary, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia, and he will receive the Bulletin post-free for one year.

One of the difficulties of main taining these records is the bi lingual character of the organisa tion. The French jealously insist on the provision of the charter that all records and proceedings of the Commission shall be in English and French; and this, of course, more than doubles the cost of records.

There are plenty of facilities available in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia for printing in English; but facilities for printing in French are very limited in Noumea, and practically non-existent elsewhere in the Pacific.

Those “Handsome” Profits

EVEN high official personages seem to have the impression that New Guinea planters are making huge profits out of copra.

This is from a man who was an onlooker during an interview in Rabaul between Territories Minis ter Hasluck plus officials, and members of the Planters Associa tion: The planters, very conscious of the way in which they have been diddled out of £3O per ton by the devaluation of Sterling, urged the Australian Government to ask the British Minister of Food to review

the MOP contract. They argueo that, in view of much higher costs they were entitled to a higher re-! turn.

Mr. Lambert (new Territories Secretary): “To raise the matter o;t higher costs as a reason for an increased price might cause th* British Ministry of Pood to delve into the matter of the handsome margin (between cost of production and the PCB price) that you all earn.” And he smiled brightly at. the planters.

A member of the planters’ later; “Reverting to that handsome margin, I should like to ask you, Mn Minister, if you think that the fact: that a firm like Carpenters, with aD facilities for management, account ing, continuity of labour, and sup plies, and more shipping than the ordinary planter, have given ur their plantations in the Ninigo group, and in the Tasman groupc and several in New Ireland, and on© in Buka, shows that any handsome profit exists?”

There were no more references to the planters’ profits!

Concerning ‘Ted’ Edwards

FROM an old Territorian, now; residing in Sydney: Geologist; “Ted” Edwards, whose tragio death you reported in July, was as good lad, and handy in an emer gency. I first met him early in 1937 T at the aerodrome camp at Wewak,: when we were both employed bjy Oil Search. Afterwards, he went! into Mia Mia, where I became Bases Officer, and we were together fori a year.

On one occasion, I was buying! produce from the natives (by signr talk, as we were beyond the Pidginr boundary) when a slight disturbances arose. The Namblo natives, al ways peaceable, were bargaining! with me, when the Makafim natives,,; led by Celuie —I think his name wass —arrived. Immediately an uproan arose, as there had been bad bloodfc between them over a raid that thes Makafims had made on the Nambloc village.

I, with my personal boys, was en deavouring to keep the peace, whenr Ted Edwards arrived with his boys..; He had heard the uproar from hise house, a quarter-mile away andj thinking that a massacre was on,,i had come immediately to give mee assistance. Fortunately, everything! was under control. We told oldf; Celuie to rouse—by sign talk, ofi course—and went and had a cupq of coffee in my haus kunai.

I met Ted in Moresby about 19400 (after I had severed my connection r with OSL—or vice versa) and, J again, during the war years in r Queensland. He will be sadly y missed, as a geologist and a Terri- tories identity, by all who were 9 fortunate enough to know him.