The Editors' Mailbag

Advocate for Square

Bananas Back in New York

Mrs. Elizabeth S. Williams of New York, former Recreation Director of the American Red Cross Hospi tal Service in the South West Paci fic during the Pacific war, and later well known throught her travels by unorthodox means throughout the Islands, writes interestingly from New York.

Mrs. Williams has just completed a lengthy lecture tour in the States, speaking at public gatherings and before television and radio. Since leaving Fiji she spent a period as a voluntary worker at a leprosarium in India and later this year she will attend a leprosy conference in Madrid, then return to India. She is at present completing a travel book, illustrated with her unique sketches and cartoons.

Her letter was accompanied by the January issue of the New York Botanical Garden’s publication The Garden Journal, in which is a hand-illustrated article by Mrs.

Williams entitled “Plants as food in the South Pacific.” Her sketches depict all the principal native food plants and fruits of the Islands.

Last year PIM published one or two articles, written by this indefa tigable traveller —in one of which she advised Fiji to grow a square banana so that it would fit more easily in the square cases used.

Wong You—Under His

Own Steam

Mr. Wong You, best known and respected merchant of Kieta and Buka Passage, writes to take us to task for printing the popular version of his success story (PIM for April). He says that he was not brought out by the Germans under any indentured labour scheme to work in New Ireland, but that as a lad of 17, in 1912, he went out under his own steam, paying his own fare and seeking employ ment on his own behalf on arrival in the Territory.

He worked at Fileba Plantation for a couple of years in a minor overseeing capacity; then at the Kavieng Hotel for another couple of years, before striking out on his own in Bougainville—where he has been ever since, and where he now owns and manages the largest re tail distributing organisation in the area.

Mr. Wong You says that liquor may be bought at the Wong You stores; but it may not be lawfully consumed by the buyers on the premises. The only people who consume beer on the Wong You verandahs are his guests.

Deportation of Fijians

The ruthlessness with which Fijians, and Islanders of similar status, are deported from Australia as prohibited immigrants, often has been commented upon by this journal. Recently, we sent to the Government of Fiji a newspaper report of the case of Semesa Delana, 28, a Fijian charged in February in Brisbane with being a prohibited immigrant, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, pending de portation to Fiji.

We have received from the Acting Colonial Secretary of Fiji a letter dated April 21, in which he says; “I appreciate your interest in the question of the entry of Pacific Islanders into Australia; but as far as Fijians are concerned, the Com monwealth Government’s restric tions on immigration are fully en dorsed by this Government and also by the leaders of the Fijian people.

“In fact, the emigration of Fijians from the Colony is also very strictly controlled; and only re cently the Fijian Affairs Board specifically asked that the Aus tralian authorities take steps to de port to Fiji any Fijian ‘who has deserted his ship, stowed away, or is in Australia without a permit.’

The reasons for this control are to protect unsophisticated Fijians from being exploited overseas and also to ensure that their families and de pendents are not neglected.

“Fijians who wish to follow approved courses of study in Aus tralian institutions are, of course, officially sponsored, and enter the Commonwealth with the full approval of this Government.”

Suwarrow’s Crusoe

Some time ago Dutch yachtsman Dirk Tober reported on arrival at Auckland that he had made a call at Suwarrow Island and, departing, had lifted the lone resident’s accumulation of mail—one letter— for posting in Apia.

Extracts from the letter: “There’s a month’s hard work around the camp (ex-meteorological observer’s quarters) alone, cleaning up and repairing. In the meantime I’m living on biscuits, coconuts and coffee until I get the kai-room and cookhouse fixed to my satisfaction —then I can set about doing a bit of cooking.

“Rats are plentiful; my old cat brings in three and four nightly.

The pigs are wild, after being chased by the Mahurangi’s passeng ers, who failed to catch any but said there was no female in the four they saw. They are a nuisance, and it will mean putting a fence round the garden.”