Roundly Condemned

Anti-Japanese

Feeling In Hebrides

Fish-Cannery Proposal Roundly Condemned

Letter to the Editor (The fallowing letter has been re ceived from Mr. T. M. Smith, secre tary of the newly-formed Santo British Assn, to Oppose Japanese Entry. A long article in May PIM gave the other side of the proposal to set up a Japanese-manned fish ery and cannery in the New Hebrides. Mr. Smith’s letter is therefore published without com ment. What the British Resident Commissioner has to say on the same subject is published elsewhere in this issue). r[E imminent arrival of 200 Japanese and seven Japanese ships to be based on Espiritu Santo, and to fish in New Hebridean waters has caused considerable alarm to residents and an associa tion has been formed to oppose their entry, . Jhe first intimation that it was intended to import the honourable gentlemen to this place was when an advance guard stepped ashore from the plane and immediately began to photograph everything in sight thus revealing their identity as

plainly as if they had flown the Rising Sun from their hatbands.

Had they stepped ashore here ten years ago they would have done so from landing barges, backed by a few thousand of their comrades armed with machine-guns instead of cameras—in fact it was only that the American Forces were enabled to build a powerful base here that prevented the Japanese from

coming further south than tfr Solomons.

However apparently “politics; expediency” has made these peopl( our “friends” for the moment which is not to say that they will no be our enemies again to-morrow. Bo they are not the type of “friends which one invites into the boson of the family. Even “politics expediency” cannot make thi

lecessary. Nevertheless the New lebrides Government, which was nee within sound of the Coral Sea tattle, is now to be the first xovernment of Britishers to allow he Japanese entry.

Of course, it can be said that the apanese will be strictly controlled nd will be confined to certain areas rhile ashore, as is being done in lorthern Australia with the apanese pearl-divers. The answer d this is: How can seven widely cattered fishing vessels be con dolled with only one Government essel capable of extended cruising i the whole of the New Hebrides?

And how can 200 Japanese be ontrolled ashore when there are ot enough police to control runken natives at the present time nd when the Japs’ barracks mich have already been built— re in the centre of the most hickly populated area in Santo?

It must be realised that these apanese vessels are manned solely v Japanese; there are no Europeans in charge of the vessels t sea.

Policing Japanese ships has never een an easy job, and even for ountries like Australia, with a favy at her disposal, the Japs have Iways been a headache.

Ostensibly the Company, which as been formed with the Japanese shing vessels as its main asset, is British one and the Japanese will nly be working for the Company, ocal residents would like to knov mo holds the majority of the hares.

It has been learned from Govern lent sources, that the intention to jrm this Company was revealed d the Government about one year go when an application was made y the parties concerned.

However, the whole business was ept a strict secret until February. 955. when the advance guard rrived in Santo and discreet nquiries were made around the awn as to whether certain people 'ould like to order cheap goods rom Japan or help with the etting-up of the business by upplying land. It is not known et whether these enquiries met nth success but, no doubt, time ill tell.

This article is written and backed y over 90 per cent of the Britishers i Santo who, on learning of the upending arrival of Japanese to ve and work in and around Santo, nmediately formed an Association nd elected a Committee to oppose apanese entry.

A Petition was prepared immedi tely and presented personally to le High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Sir Robert Itanley, by a deputation from the association. But it received no ssurance that anything would be [one to prevent the entry of apanese, and there is no doubt

that they will arrive and settle in, as planned.

The Japanese have got their base in the Pacific after all, just as though they had won the war, and from now on it will be look out, Pacific islands, here come the Japs.

New Guinea, Solomons, Fiji and the rest should note that there are seven Jap ships roaming around as free as the air.

I am, etc.,

T. M. Smith,

Secretary, Santo British Assn, to Oppose Japanese Entry.

Santo, NH, May 12, 1955.

IT Fatafehi Mataele, the first Tongan girl to qualify as a registered Sister of the New Zealand Nursing Division, returned to Tonga in May. She has been appointed Child Welfare Sister in the Medical Department, and will represent Tonga at a nursing seminar to be held at Suva from July 4 to July 28 under the auspices of the World Health Organisation. r The Monastelio Social Club of Vavau entertained Prince Tu’ipele hake and Princess Melenaite during their visit to Vavau in April at a social and dance held in their honour at the newly opened Lei Fahina ’o Pilolevu hall, Neiafu.