She's OK Now

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True Story by Daiku Tau

THE publicity recently given to the language problem in Papua- New Guinea reminds me of a happening during the latter end of the war.

I was in charge of a native hos pital and had several outstations under native orderlies who had to submit their monthly reports to me to be incorporated in the one for the district.

These orderlies were chosen care fully for their ability to write clearly as well as for their medical knowledge. The report I had to make listed all the usual diseases in their alphabetical order and also had a space for “Enemy Action,” any case of which had to be in vestigated in case of possible com pensation.

The area had been free of the enemy for nearly two years so you can imagine my surprise when an orderly on an outstation, who had never made a mistake previously, sent in his report with one case of “Enemy Action.”

Apart from the native population the only people I knew of in the area were several missionaries and I could not imagine them injuring a native or being called an enemy.

But there were several crashed Japanese planes which probably still had some ammo left on them, so I held up my report and sent for further particulars.

I eventually received the follow ing letter from the orderly: OC, Native Hospital, Dear Sir Taubada, I get your letter about Enemy Action case number 166 in hos pital case book, and I tell you.

This patient was aged female and she have constipation for four days so I give her enemy and she have action and I mark my book Enemy Action. She alright now. 1 am,

Nmo

in charge Outstation.