In Praise of the Papuans

MEMBERS of the Royal Papuan and New Guinea Constabulary Coronation contingent made a favourable impression on those who came in contact with them during their visit to London. Dr. Stefan Wurm, Lecturer at the Vienna University and authority on native languages and anthropology, met the contingent for the purpose of linguistic studies.

He has now written to Mr.

Hasluck, Minister for Territories, warmly praising the men. “I am convinced,” he says, “that the P-NG Service can be rightly proud of their policy which has produced such outstanding men.”

In his letter, Dr. Wurm points out that in the course of his studies of native languages he has met numerous natives with a certain European background, and that in the majority of cases he has found a number of unpleasant features.

Natives having a superficial ac quaintance with European civilisa tion despised their own native culture and looked down upon everything connected with their former tribal life, developed a remarkable laziness, laxity and lack of interest, and showed loss of in dividual personality.

Dr. Wurm could find none of these negative features in the RP-NG Constabulary contingent. He found them to be keenly interested in everything, active, well-disciplined without submissiveness and servility, and of natural and unconstrained behaviour, manners and politeness which would put to shame many a European.