South Pacific Commission

An American at the Head of the South Pacific Commission

The next Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission will be an American—Dr. Ralph Clairon Bedell; and the 3rd.

Pacific Conference will be held in Fiji, in 1956.

THESE announcements were made from Noumea on October 28 shortly before the thirteenth session of the Commission ended tllere - Dr. Bedell, who succeeds Sir Brian Freeston, is 51 and is at present in Washington as Director of the programme development and review branch in the Division of International Education, United States Office of Education. In this capacity he is responsible for recommending technical assistance programmes in education for 33 countries and dependent areas.

He has had many years of administrative experience in American Universities, particularly in the fields of education, vocational training and sociology. He has taken an active part in the work of the Carribean Commission and the West Indian Conference and is widely travelled, especially in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the West Indies.

It is anticipated that Dr. Bedell will take up his new duties in March, 1955. Meanwhile Mr. John Ryan, of Australia, and Deputy Secretar y-G ener a 1, has been appointed to act as Secretary-General.

The Pacific Conference, which is a meeting of representatives of the native peoples in the Territories in the SPC’s field of activity, will meet at a time yet to be fixed in 1956.

Some surprise was felt at the choice of Fiji for the second time; many people thought that the honour would fall to Port Moresby.

The first Conference was held at Nasinu, near Suva, in 1950; and the second was held at Noumea in 1953.

The 13Th Session

Noumea, Oct. 28.

Although six important delegations from the six nations which con stitute the South Pacific Commission (see October PIM) worked for many hours per day for three weeks, there was httle in this Session of spec tacular interest for the newspapers, Split into a series of committees, under the driving force of the Pre sident (Mr. Reg. Halligan, of Aus tralia) the delegations, with mem hers and staff of the Commission’s Research Council, worked long and hard. , The y dealt mainly wi t h budgetary problems, and with the Research Council s programme of work for the coming year, The relations between the delega tions were excellent. Because of the language handicap, and some dif ferences of view in political policies, misunderstandings could easily arise between the French and the Eng lish-speaking people. But there was not a suggestion of that. On the contrary there was apparent on both sides an eagerness for co-operation and in relation to the work of the Commission, Each of the six delegations gave a cocktail party and reception— placing rather a strain upon the VlP’s who were expected to attend the lot—and the most important was that given in the Pentagon by the President (Australia) ; and here the Entente Cordiale really was seen.

Mr Halligan’s most important guest was the new Governor of New Caledonia and France’s High Com missioner for the Pacific—Monsieur R. Hoffherr, who has just succeeded

M. Angamarre. Another important French guest was M. Henri Sautot, famous here in 1940 when, as French Commissioner in New Hebrides, he was the first high official in the French Empire to defy Vichy and declare for De Gaulle. He now lives here in retirement, and has just been created an Honorary Governor- General of the French Empire—a high honour for a notable man.

Mr. Halligan, in a neat speech, presented the Commission’s thanks to the French Administration for courteous readiness always to help the Commission’s establishment at Anse Vata; and M. Hoffherr ex pressed the Colony’s pleasure that such good relations existed, and that so much important work was being done.

The social activities included a week-end picnic along New Cale donia’s shores, and a full-blooded deer-hunt. The outstanding kill of the day fell to the rifle of Professor Keesing (USA); and, when amateur photographers had been satisfied (“Professor Keesing, complete with stag”) the body was carted to the Pentagon kitchens, to provide some variety in the menu. The staff, a week later, was a little blasphemous on the subject of frequent venison steak and pies. But all found com pensation in the proud smile of the popular Professor.

The Governor of Fiji (Sir Ronald Garvey) was head of the United Kingdom delegation, and he and Lady Garvey were prominent figures in Noumea for a fortnight. They had the use of the residence of the British Consul (Mr. Johnson), at present absent in Australia. A smart and efficient section of the Colony’s Defence Force turned out to provide a guard of honour for the British Governor, on his arrival and de parture.

If The Anglican Bishop in Poly nesia, the Rt. Rev. R. S. Kemp thorne, and Mrs. Kempthorne, returned to Suva per Orion late October. Bishop Kempthorne had been attending the Pan-American Anglican congress at Minneapolis,

Usa.

Some of those who attended—left, the French delegation; centre, Mr. J. H. Jones and Dr. J. Cumpston of Australia; right, the UK delegates—Sir Ronald Garvey, second from right.—Photo: F. Dunn.