Poor Impression Made by the Trusteeship

Mission

OF all the useless delegations from the Trusteeship Council which have visited the “mandated”

Territories of the South Pacific, that which was in Nauru, New Guinea and Western Samoa in April and May made the most un favourable impression. It was led by Dr. Enrique de Marchena, of the Dominican Republic.

The enthusiasm with which some members of the party entered upon the saltatory exercises at a Rabaul function arranged in their honour has been the subject of comment.

Later in the New Guinea tour, officials at Lae arranged to take the party up the mountain road to Bulolo in Landrovers, to let them see the country and the natives.

Dr. de Marchena made history by flatly refused to ride through the country in a Landrover —it was too uncomfortable. He remained in the hotel. Other members of the party showed little interest in what they were shown at Wau and Bulolo.

But the real highlight came in Western Samoa. The Samoans, notable for their hospitality, courtesy and strict etiquette, made the traditional presentations of food, fine mats and tapa and then they put on the Ta’alolo ceremony, reserved for only the most im portant visitors. The Trusteeship Mission, of course, was enthroned on a dais.

Believe it or not: while the cere mony was in progress, the members of the Mission, led by Dr. de Marchena, came down off the dais, and circled around, trying to get effective pictures for their cameras.

And then (according to a well known New Zealand weekly news paper of May 13) “Dr. de Marchena adopted every possible attitude to ensure good results, finally lying flat on his stomach a few feet away from a dancing girl in order to get the right angles.” (The worthy Dr. de Marchena evidently was trained in photo graphy in America, where some contend that the best way to photo graph shapeliness is to put the camera low down and point up wards—usually with startling results in the picturing of ankles and thighs!) The NZ newspaper’s head ing to the article was “Contortions With Cameras Over Dancing Girls”!

It is not surprising to learn that the attitude of the Samoans to the Trusteeship Council gentlemen was “courteous but cold.”

This may appear to be merely an amusing incident. But it does give strength to the repeated plea

of this and other journals that the Governments concerned (especially Britain, United States, Australia and New Zealand) should put an end to this useless Trusteeship farce, and leave the Territories of New Guinea, Nauru and Western Samoa in the complete control of the countries which have efficiently governed them and protected and helped their natives since 1914.

Dr. de Marchena, photographed as he presented his dancing partner to members of the Mission, at an entertainment in Rabaul.