Unique Record

Set By

Only 135,000 Fijians

SUVA, March 30.

ARMY officers from Britain, serv ing in Malaya and watching the Fiiian troops of the Ist Battalion build up a superb record as jungle-fighters, footballers, boxers and cricketers —not to mention a reputation for popularity among people of all races in Malaya and Singapore—have been reluctant to believe that the famous unit repre sents a total Fijian population of about 135,000. „ The Fijian Battalion’s Rugby team has overwhelmed all opposition (both Services and civilian) in Malaya, Singapore and Hongkong.

Some of its scores have been in the cricket category; it has won the Far East Land Forces Rugby Union Cup without losing a match, and the Fijian line has been crossed only a few times.

“How do you do it?” an English officer asked a Fijian officer last year, when another Fijian team was cleaning up some of Australia’s best teams.

Recently eight Fijian soldiers who had served in Malaya returned to Fiji after completing an officer training course in New Zealand.

The Dominion press paid an un precedented tribute to them, stat ing (on Army authority) that they

had set the, pace throughout the course. And the course, it was added, was the toughest that the hard-bitten Army centre ’at Waiouru

could provide.

The eight will return to Malaya as Second Lieutenants; and more Fijian recruits will go with them.

The question whether a com munity of 135,000, outnumbered by

aliens in its homeland, should \ ever have been asked to send nearly] 1,000 of its finest young men to Malaya for two years or more, is] still topical in Fiji.

Miss Nancy H. Clark, of Auckland, took up an appointment in March] as teacher at Tongoa school, New Hebrides.

Down from the Islands to New Zealand March (left to right):— Mrs. J. McDermott and brother, Lionel rone, from W. Samoa.

Mr. Peter Kearsley, from Suva, to study [?]w at Auckland University.

Mrs. E. C. Higgins and her sister, Mrs.

L. Whitcombe, from W. Samoa.

Mr. B. Johansson, of P.W.D., Apia, on ree months’ leave.