Fiji Is At The Cross-Roads

Three Communities Create Peculiar Problems In Rich British Colony

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Dec. 28

is been said more than once— . the PIM and elsew'here — at in an Islands group like here is seldom any single lent, expression or feeling [■ the population which can nly labelled “public opinion.” are as many publics as there cial sections, and each section ded into sub-sections, ound figures, there are in Fiji 30,000 Indians, 120,000 Fijians iss than 8,000 full Europeans. n iji it is always dangerous to ilise. But, as 1951 goes out, difficult to avoid a growing Df apprehension over what the future holds for this curious p of inter-racial ambitions *ars. ing over the sending of troops to Malaya has not sed, although the mild, and ary, plain-speaking by the Governor (Mr. A. F. Stoddart) unsuitability of young Indians e Army has apparently ended idian efforts on the defence at least for the time being, the other hand, there has remarkably little Indian ex nt over the arrival on iber 14 of Mr. Aneel Kumar he second Commissioner for □vernment of India in Fiji.

N T Dian Commissioner

in the first Commissioner 3. A. Waiz) arrived in 1948 was an outburst of flag l enthusiasm. But nowadays, on Indian Independence only the more aggressive alists keep up the display used to exasperate a great non-Indians in this still i country. lay be remembered that Mr. departed in 1950 with the cant comment that he had with nothing but courtesy Europeans and Fijians and t was high time for Indian to jettison its political s and try to fall into line he other races in Fiji, laps it is not saying too much, ■ end of 1951, to suggest that ore reasonable of the Indians ji are gradually gaining a ic outlook on the relations ?n Britain, India, Pakistan 'iji. Some of them, at least, hlling to concede that the has been reached in what can sed of the Fijians—or taken it asking. neither they, nor anybody an see what will happen when wamping Indian population se reaches the danger-point.

And that will happen in a com paratively few years.

Mr. Sen, for the last 21 years was Indian Consul-General at Shanghai.

The European Community

The 6,000 Europeans in Fiji are anything but a compact minority group. The rapidly-dwindling group of those who remember Fiji as it was before World War I have either adjusted themselves to the new

conditions, or still make an attempt to hold on to the past. The im pregnably affluent hold on to a point; but, for most, the holding on is more or less illusory.

Many of the other Europeans are In Fiji merely for what they can get out of it while the going is good.

They say quite openly that sooner or later they are likely to find con ditions too much for them.

This is not to say that this group consists of an array of parasites.

A great majority of them are doing valuable work in many directions, and sometimes at personal sacri fice; but they decline to look far Into the future, so far as it con cerns themselves and their children in Fiji.

Add the maligned birds-of paradise in commerce, in the Government service and elsewhere, and that disposes of virtually the whole European community.

When asked what they think is going to happen to Fiji in the next generation or two, all these people sidestep as adroitly as most Gov ernment officials.

The year has seen an un enthusiastic attempt to get together a European Taxpayers’ Association.

A sparse attendance showed a marked reluctance to produce active officers; and the general im pression seemed to be that the plan was blighted in advance by the unlaid ghost of the European Electors’ Association, which ex

pired after two futile atterrq scratch up a quorum for an a meeting in 1949.

Nothing has been heard o 1951 attempt for several m( and it will be astonishing i Taxpayers’ Association ever comes an active force-

Fijian Questions

Still holding the balance in homeland, the Fijians are plainly at the crossroads.

More Fijians are asking que than ever before some i awkward queries are said to been put to ex-Minister of John Dugdale by Fijian: mostly, to such questions ther tragic lack of answers.

It . is not in the Fijian nati be envious; but something preaching bitterness is to be when Fijians compare their condition—economic and oth( with that of the W( Samoans and the Tongans, be whom have been protected aj the danger of being swamp: aliens.

Equally apparent is a gr Fijian impatience with those peans who are full of exhorti but give no practical help i: carrying out of their precept If the Fijians take the i turning, the blame will lie wit conditions created by non-Fi, And if the Fijians are a crossroads, so is the whole oi