Commentary

cerning a New

ernor in Fiji

would be unfortunate, and rong, if Fiji or any friend of iji, gave the impression that Crown Colony is unhappy in ssociation with Britain. That, itely, is not so. e Fijian race, especially, and as an organised country, have ed incalculable benefits from 5h rule, protection, encourage of industry, and the selfless of several generations of lial Office men. i, like every Colony, has •ed the usual proportion of sh “stuffed shirts”; but the whelming majority of public nts have maintained the ble record of British colonial listration, and helped both the lal Fijians and the late ig Indians to benefits of which forefathers never dreamed, a ry ago. time marches on. Rightly rongly, “colonialism” is out. if Fiji were like Samoa, and no racial problem, Fiji—like a —would now be demanding ocreasing measure of self iment. inter-racial situation in Fiji nakes a revision of the gov mtal machinery imperative, irticle on page 49). t has been apparent for 1 years. Thoughtful men, who Fiji, have discussed it with sing frequency and urgency, s believed that the Colonial would see the plain writing on all. It was thought, in 1952, here was significance in the an, as Governor, of Sir Ronald 7, an experienced admini • who had a lifelong know of Fiji and its very peculiar ns. the announcement in May a New Governor, to follow • Ronald (retiring very soon) that the Colonial Office has w ideas about Fiji, and is ng the same old system. new Governor, Mr. K, P. cks, probably is a gentleman standing qualities—men who t so endowed seldom attain ink of Governor— and will nothing from the fine il records of British Gov in Fiji. does not alter the facts that 3 ,.,spent the whole of his West Africa (see page id that he now is so near irmg age (he is 51) that he be expected to devote much

time and constructive energy to consideration of Fiji’s problems. He probably will not have settled in at Suva until late in 1958, and he cannot acquire a working knowledge of the Fiji scene, with its back ground of unusual history, racial unbalance, and Kai Viti influences, in less than two years.

A man, at 51, is “set” in his ideas.

There are vast differences between Nigeria and the South Pacific tropical islands, and between West Africans and the racial groups he will meet in this awakening corner of Melanesia.

There is urgent need for reform in the machinery which controls the administrative and judicial systems of Fiji. Apparently, when seeking some movement towards revision, it is no use our looking towards Whitehall, which regards Fiji mainly as a quiet and peaceful place to which to send a deserving middle-aged administrator, so that he may retire with the pension of a minor governor.

If Fiji wants reform, so that it may avoid grave political troubles in the early future, it must itself take the initiative—just as the initiative has been taken in many other British Colonies in the recent past. ☆ ☆ ☆

Kabaul Chinese Go in-

Suva Indians Slay Out!

ABOUT SO New Guinea Chinese have been admitted, through naturalisation, to Australian

citizenship.

They are free, now, as Australian citizens, to enter the country which is known throughout the world for its “White Australia Policy”— which will not allow persons of other than European blood to settle in Australia. . Many people—especially people in the adjoining Australian Terri tory of Papua—do not like the new development. Inevitably, it means that sooner or later New Guinea Chinese will go to live in Papua and in Australia.

Australians now must decide on the real meaning of “White Aus tralia Policy”. Is it a racial or an economic discrimination?

For many years, Asians have been protesting with increasing bit terness against the Policy. They object strongly to the suggestion that they are kept out of Australia because they are Asians.

Increasingly, Australians have been saying that the barrier is not raised against Asians because of

the colour of their skin, b it be cause of the danger that thev may undermine living standards, 'which have been built up slowly, and at painful cost.

The tragic over-population of most Asian countries has set, for Asians, standards of life which Australians will not tolerate, for one moment. Invariably, when they transfer, en masse, to Euro pean countries, they continue with social and industrial practices which are a menace to European standards. We have had countless examples of it, all around the Paci fic and Indian Oceans.

For that reason, direct immigra tion from Asian countries to Euro pean countries like Australia and New Zealand cannot be contem plated. There, the socio-economic argument is sound.

But can that argument be sus tained if the Asians arrive in Aus tralia, not directly from Asia, but from places like New Guinea and Fiji, where they have been estab lished for a couple of generations, and have adopted European ways of life and European education?

The standard of life of the second or third generation of the New Guinea Chinese, or Fiji Indian, is not very different from that of Australia. Industrially and socially, he is no menace.

Racial discrimination is not tol erated, now. Whether they are right or wrong, the people who advocate Apartheid in South Africa, and the Jim Crow laws of United States, are now a dwindling minority. * * * Having made the decision in re lation to the New Guinea Chinese, Australia soon will have to more clearly define her attitude towards Islands immigrants (whether Islanders or Asians, or mixed). How can she maintain the bar against educated Fiji Indians, while ad mitting Rabaul Chinese? She ad mits New Zealand Polynesians (Maoris) because NZ insists; but she still refuses permanent resi dence to other Polynesians and Melanesians.

The situation is illogical, and ab surd, and calls for clarification.

Having made fish of the Rabaul Chinese, Australia cannot continue to make fowl of other South Pacific Islanders who are equally good citizens. ☆ ☆

The Heroism of

Charles de Gaulle

has abandoned the poli tical system which has brought her—and perhaps the nations of Western Europe—right to the edge of national disaster. Charles de Gaulle has taken over. (Over)

But is he in time? How deeply has the rot penetrated?

France, in her long and splendid history, usually has given her neighbours —and especially Britain —a lead in socio-political develop ment. The chain of events which has culminated in the partial col lapse of the National Assembly, and the request to General de Gaulle to assume control, has much sig nificance for us.

Most British countries today are struggling with Parliaments which now are more or less a shell. Gov ernments no longer are the instru ments of the elected Parliaments— instead, they are shaped and di rected by political party machines.

Parliaments are now little more than luxuriously - equipped social clubs, wherein professional poli ticians, mostly indolent and over paid, go through the farce of Par liamentary membership. Very few are men of ability. An astonishing proportion of them actually are il literate. (The writer of this commentary spent many years, a fascinated ob server, in the Parliamentary press galleries of four British countries).

Because of the poor quality of the men who gain portfolios, an ever increasing proportion of the de cisions of government is taken by bureaucrats, generally as arrogant as they are overpaid; and they are responsible to no one.

To an increasing degree, the at titude of the great majority of voters towards the Parliaments ranges from indifference, through cynicism, to active dislike and con tempt.

In a phrase, Parliamentary gov ernment has deteriorated almost be yond recovery—step by step, ever since it was superceded by the sys tem of party machines and caucuses. This writer actually has seen it happen, within the span of 50 years.

A similar decay, in France, has gone faster and farther.

As the only means of saving her Parliamentary system from com plete collapse and anarchy (the re sult of parties, political machines and bureaucracy) France has sought a dictatorship. She has sur rendered her government to de Gaulle for six months, in which he is to try to reform the Constitution and restore the rule of Parliament.

Where France is today, the mem bers of the British Commonwealth probably will be tomorrow.

EVENTS in France are of impor tance to us in the Pacific.

Here, the only other Euro pean language spoken is French.

French Polynesia, in the east, and New Caledonia, in the west, are our very near neighbours, and our friends. Their future condition in evitably affects us.

Hats off to de Gaulle who, at 67,

for the second time in his life, sacrifices every personal considera tion, in his endeavour to save his beloved France from anarchy, and Western Europe from Communism.

Irresponsible newspapers screech, and Red commentators jeer, but whatever happens now, nothing can tarnish this proof of the man’s simple heroism. If he succeeds, the gain will be for France, and little for him, at 67. If he fails and none knows better than he that the hour is very late, and the chances are against him —the mobs will tear him to pieces. ☆ ☆ ☆

Education—At Home

Or Abroad?

ONE of the sacrifices that parents sometimes have to make when they go to live in the tropical territories of the Pacific is that they must part from their children at an early age. So far as Papua- New Guinea is concerned, the Aus tralian taxpayer has been making the parting a little easier for Euro pean and Asian parents by sub sidising the cost of their children’s secondary education to the tune of about £135,000 per annum.

They now will continue to do so for another two years—when it will be reconsidered —although earlier it was announced that the subsidy would end with this year. (See Pacific Review section, this issue).

The subsidy is paid because there has been, up till now, no secondary schools in the Territory, But parents who, for this reason, have come to accept it as their right, were in danger of being hoist on their own petard when subsidy withdrawal was threatened: most of them much prefer that their children should go South to schools of the parents’ own selection rather than attend any school provided by the Administration in the Territory.

When it comes to the education of their children there probably are few European parents in P-NG quite so sold on tolerance as the P-NG Administration (for which read Department of Territories, Canberra) who plan the non segregated secondary schools of P-NG’s future. With or without subsidy most will contrive to send their children away—but, while it lasts, accept the £145 (which covers no more than one-third of the cost) and that air-fare, gratefully.

It’s not entirely a matter of racial prejudice either. It is just that a lot of people are going to remain unconvinced that an old school tie from the right establishment has lost all its value, and that new schools in the Territory, that take all comers, can give their children the right start in life.

Fiji has fared much better than

P-NG in the matter of secor education having got on establishing these schools before the cult of all-in-tog became so important. It separate schools for Europeans part-Europeans, Indians, Fijians—and the Chinese munity conducts a couple c own.

Children of all races in Fi go away from Fiji to scho« New Zealand and Australia, many do not and included ami the latter are some from “the best families”, who don’t appe have suffered much in « intellect or social adjustment.

We will probably be able U the same for the products oi New Guinea schools—in a ge; tion or so. The thing is, w going to start the ball rollinj. ☆ ☆ ☆

Don’t let’s Buy

let’s Sell

THE business of each cot clapping on import restru while at the same time ing government salesmen oi boost sales to others, is reai the point of reductio ad absui In May, the New Zealand Go ment was getting ready to Is a trade-drive on Fiji. The fact Fiji last year sold £Stg.4J worth more to NZ than it tx was annoying someone. It was suggested that NZ have a pact with New Caledonia.

At the same time, New Gale* tied to the tail of Metrop< France’s kite, and severely stricted in overseas spending; importing eggs, potatoes andJ milk from France when less 1,000 miles away in Australia are abundant supplies of commodities at cheaper pricen in certainly fresher condition A banana delegation set out!

Fiji for New Zealand on Jil Its business is not so much t New Zealand to buy more bar as to induce it to buy as maf previously. (When New Ze slashed imports at the If ning of this year, Fiji bananas included. The restrictions were temporarily modified).

The Governor of Fiji, in refe to the impending negotiations,,; “The Government and peon New Zealand have been oun friends for many years now I do not believe they will any difficulties for us in regs this matter”.

For the sake of the growers who have, over thej half dozen years, been urg? produce more and more baa for the apparently insatiable) Zealanders, we hope the Gove optimism is justified.