Islanders' Behaviour Away
p. 15 · Read in the full issue
From The Islands
SYDNEY, April 14. r-E progress that is being made in lifting the Pacific Islanders to the status of nationhood is >ecoming almost breath-taking.
Here in Sydney, in the last three >r four weeks, we have seen titled lative men and women from Fiji a king their places quite naturally nth educated and sophisticated Europeans; two-score natives from *apua and New Guinea, en route o London, marching through Syd ney’s streets in a manner that muld have done credit to Guards men; a staggering measure of self overnment being handed con idently by New Zealand to Western lamoa; a large party of Papuans, olomon Islanders, Nauruans, Micro esians, behaving with calm and ignity, going aboard a huge plane waiting them at Mascot, for trans ortation to an Islanders’ confer nce in Noumea; titular rulers of ’onga, Samoa and Cook Islands ravelling to the Coronation, with le unquestioned status of VlP’s.
The outstanding factor in all these ctivities is the calm and easy earing of the Islanders. Whether tiey are the big and proud leaders f Polynesia, or the small and ather timid representatives of [elanesia —not so sure of them ?lves—they have taken their places i this new world with dignity and ssurance. It is a most interesting base.
Where are the cowering Islands [Hagers, the helpless, exploited
natives, of whom we have heard so much from the Pinks and the Fellow-travellers 9 Are these the sorry products of “colonialism’s” vicious era?
Many of us whose knowledge of the Islands was gained in pre-war years do not look upon these mani festations of 1953 with complete joy.
We fear that a too rapid advance ment from the Stone Age village to
minor nationhood may be bad for the Melanesian, at least. Some of us, at this stage, would much rather have a well-disciplined and re spectful villager than an arrogant “big-head”, no matter how loudly he may yelp for self-government.
However, Time Marches On. We must admit that, so far, all has been very well. We knew, of course, that the well-born leaders of Polynesia would bear themselves creditably under all conditions: and it is a pleasure now to reoort that the behaviour of all the travellers of lesser degree, up to date, has justi fied the faith of the planners.