The Editors' Mailbag

Dismemberment of Fiji?

“For mercy’s sake do, or say, something about the merciless dismemberment of Fiji that is going on in the Australian Press” is the burden of an appeal from a Suva correspondent.

First cause of complaint is a colourful two pages in a Sydney weekly in August depicting part of the large and well known island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group of Fiji.

Possibly for purposes of pic turesque romanticism, the seldom used name “Exploring Isles” has been revived, and the publication quotes none other than Sir Gordon Taylor as speaking of three island groups—New Caledonia, Fiji and the Exploring Isles, the latter described as “a British colony under the Governor of Fiji” and obviously an almost unique place— “almost like Tahiti before the Bounty”

As far as is known, no move towards the secession of Vanua Balavu, which is an integral part of Lau Province, from the Crown Colony of Fiji has ever been thought of by anybody.

Next comes an excruciating effort by a Sydney daily paper on September 24.

Under the headline “It’s Dandy at Nandi”, this contains the useful information that Fiji’s inter national airport is at “Nandi Island, a Pacific ‘dot’ of 400 square miles.”

In accordance with the Australian newspaper tradition of knowing little and caring less about the Islands, it appears that somebody has achieved the geographical feat of prying the 400 square miles loose from Viti Levu, which has an area of 4,011 square miles.

Another Point of View

A Cook Islands reader criticises a seeming implication in the Tom Davis book Doctor to the Islands (reviewed in August PIM) that comparatively little appeared to have been done medically for the Islanders before his (Dr. Davis’s) advent.

The correspondent writes: “Dr.

Ellison, OBE, had child welfare committees in the villages many years before the Davis’s arrived, and it was because of Dr. Ellison’s representations to the Government that ultimately the sanatorium plan was passed and the building opened in his time.

“Before the wartime airstrip was made, it took too long for Wellington departmental heads to travel by ship, and nobody bothered about the Cook Group. The medical grant was very small and

things merely struggled along. With the advent of planes, Rarotonga was inundated with officials who poked hither and yon and declared that practically everything was the last word in awfulness.

“My own opinion is that for a long time Miss Lucy Hawkes had to put up with a great deal more than any hospital matron should be asked to cope with.

“And I cannot understand why the work of the senior AMP, Tau Cowan who, incidentally, was selected to go Home to the Coronation—is not adequately men tioned in the book.”

Things Are Moving at

Goroka

Writing in mid-September, Pastor C. J. Campbell, of the Eastern Highlands SDA Mission, New Guinea, says that the arrival of a large water-waggon by road from Lae was an important event for Goroka.

“Detours had to be made across most of the rivers and creeks because the bridges are not strong enough, but it shows what can be done,” he continues.

“Many new vehicles are coming into Goroka, and activity is expanding in this country, but it needs, and must have, more money for roads.”

Gatton Scholarships for

Fijian Students

An old European resident in Fiji who not long ago in PIM criticised the sending of Fijians to Gatton College, Queensland, is taken to task by a Fijian correspondent.

“However good his intention, it seems to me that ‘Old European Resident’ is one of the people who remember the days when the Kai- Viti was expected to be a useful tool and nothing more,” the writer says.

“Gatton College is one of the few places where Fijians may learn something that has reason ably general application to con ditions in Fiji. Nobody wants these students to try to be encyclopaedias of scientific knowledge, but that is no reason for regarding the Fijians as minor cogs in the economic life of their own country.

“Some of the European criticism of the Fijians as a people is both ill-informed and unfair —and that goes for a few old residents as much as for anybody else.

“Inquiry would show that one thing Fijians and others learn at Gatton is tolerance and a genuine understanding of other people’s problems.”

Belgium's 1940 Campaigj

The Belgian Consul at Sc (Mr. Ernest Vanderlinden) strongly criticised the inclusii Belgium among those con.

“where political conditions corrupt and rotten” and had bolstered by Britain when shf fighting Germany and Italy in The reference occurred in a j to the editor published in the tember PIM under the he£ “Have You Forgotten?”

Mr. Vanderlinden writes tlr the outbreak of war Belgium i ised her forces to defend her' tiers should her declared neuj be violated. He continues; “Violated it was, and Be fought back with all the vigo: her manpower and materis sources. The retreat of the Belgian army before the enoc might of Germany was the S 3 retreat in Europe in the S World War. Eventually, wii back to the sea and all its i bases gone, the army held om final positions, thus making p« the famous British evacuation Dunkirk.

“The Government, in exiles tinned the war against the • with air, naval and military not to mention a strong resit movement in the home c<; from the beginning right up end. Does any of this action S 3 a corrupt and rotten political J tion? . . .

“I must condemn the reft to Belgium as having no bas fact and contrary to all evide.