Use Of Military Titles

In Islands Government

THE use of military titles in con nection with Pacific Islands ad ministration is often a source of worry to newspapers. Some officials insist on using them; others, who are entitled to designations of high rank, prefer to be addressed as civilians.

The late Administrator of Papua- New Guinea was much better known as a Professor than as an Army officer; but he was accorded high military rank because of adminis trative and training work in Aus tralia early in World War II; and after 1945 he was always called “Colonel.”

The Assistant Administrator, D.

M. Cleland (referred to by Colonel Murray in his mid-July statement as “a person highly experienced in organising successful post-war elec tion campaigns.”) saw active service in the Middle East and actually has the rank of Brigadier (which is higher than Colonel). Some people now refer to him by his military title —but it seems he prefers plain “Mr.” for a non-military job.

Furthermore, Mr. Cleland was second-in-charge of ANGAU (a military organisation) in Papua- New Guinea in the latter part of the war, and did an outstanding job on the early Production Control Board, As Minister Hasluck pointed out, Colonel Murray’s sneer at him was hardly justified by the facts.