How Asia Creates Problems in South Pacific
p. 16 · Read in the full issue
TT is likely that one of the first problems presented for solution to the new High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Mr. R. C. S.
Stanley, will be that of providing adequate transport for the area. New Hebrides is fairly well served by Franco-British interests; but the British Solomon Islands and the Gil bert and Ellice Colony are in a lamentable position.
Except for a small Burns Philp vessel which goes north via the New Hebrides, and returns from Honiara direct to Sydney, calls by the Malaita, and some irregular freighters, the Solomons are without any shipping connection with “out side”; and the only regular air service runs via Rabaul and Lae, in New Guinea. G & E Colony is without any scheduled communication, either by sea or air.
Neither shipping nor airline owners can be blamed. They must run their services for profit; and nowadays, under the policies evolved since the war by the Socialists and Native Welfare Planners there has been little economic development, and there is not enough trade in either Territory to justify better services.
This is a symptom of a dangerous situation. The Solomon Islands have a very large area, capable of support ing, in comfort, many millions of
people, instead of the 100,000 primi tive Melanesians who now occupy them. In so many words, if Britain is unwilling to turn this great archi pelago to better account, her owner ship certainly will be challenged by Asia. Think what the Indians or Japanese could do with BSI.
Some months ago, when the PIM suggested that, in view of the grow ing pressure of Asia, the machinery of the South Pacific Commission might be used for consultation about the political future of the South Pac ific Islands groups, the PIM was chided by some of its friends. They said that the SPC’s functions were —and should be—limited to research and advice.
But the situation is changing every month. It is imperative that the six Western nations which occupy the 14 South Pacific Territories should get together soon and decide, in view of Asiatic developments, what they are going to do with these archipelagoes. If the powers of the SPO are not sufficient, then they should give it new powers, or pro vide machinery for consultation in some other body. The future of the 10,000,000 white people in the South Pacific is the major considera tion, in this matter. There is no future for them if Asia moves into the great undeveloped and almost unpopulated archipelagoes of the South-West Pacific.