Islands Federation:

Commentary

ledonian Events Are

sson For Others

HE historical background of the political disturbance in New Caledonia (fully described in an icle on page 17 of this issue) of interest to all South Pacific ritories which are moving ards self-government, and where je racial communities wish to peaceably together. ►riginally, France planned a sch eming Assembly for New Cale ia, to be constituted by the :tion of 16 members by European ?rs, and 9 members by Mela ian voters. In view of the vastly erent rights, privileges and racy of the racial groups, this fair enough—at any rate, it a move in the right direction, ut the very devoted M. Lenor id —whose judgment obviously been warped by his intense -native sentiment and his horror jolitical and economic injustices ered in the past by the Mela ans fought bitterly and ngly against that plan; and itually he succeeded in having immon roll introduced, tie outcome was inevitable. New ?donia was delivered over to the lalanced and intransigent ormand and his seven “Minis ”; and oppression and injustice transferred swiftly from the onto the Right. (The same of thing happened in French inia, where the same sort of Loral law was introduced), le collapse of the French Parlia tary system, in May, and the sfer of all governmental power »e Gaulle, gave the NC Rightists r chance. They rose in revolt June 18; whereupon the ocative Lenormand admini :ion was suspended by the srnor, and probably will remain ended until De Gaulle’s lised new Constitution has been t with in France towards the of 1958. a crisis, the French are sts. They now must realise , in communities like New donia and French Polynesia, the non roll is impracticable; and, lever and however adopted, it ; lead to injustice, oppression ultimately, revolt, emocratic” Parliaments, elected he common roll system, were ideal of the one-community ;ern nations. They worked, well gh, until their purpose was ited by political “machines”, the Parliaments are no longer )cratic, and appear to be in 'Ss of decay and collapse. They

can be saved only by drastic and far-reaching reforms in the voting system.

The one-man-one-vote system, on a common roll, never can produce democratic government in a country where there are sharp ethnic divisions in the population. An administrative system, so based, could work only on a totalitarian basis. If we are to have a common roll in places like New Caledonia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Guinea, we might as well shorten the process by changing over directly to Communism. ☆

Comic Opera War Is Over

BY the end of June, the comic opera civil war in Indonesia was over.

President Soekarno’s “sea, land and air forces” had taken possession of the rebellious areas in Sumatra and the Celebes.

The “fighting” was notable for its painlessness, and lack of casualties.

A most commendable war!

Now the “forces” are looking for new worlds to conquer.

Soekarno, conscious of the steadily deteriorating economic con dition of his distracted country, has decided to direct attention else where by stirring up the Dutch New Guinea issue again.

There is a likelihood that the Indonesian “forces” will turn south eastwards upon New Guinea. The Dutch decided to send a cruiser and a few more men into Western New Guinea. The Indonesian Gov ernment, about July 1, declared all residents of Dutch New Guinea to be “citizens of Indonesia”.

Immediately, the less responsible metropolitan newspapers of Aus tralia—which is most of them—

began sensation-building.

“Our Defences Are Down!” “No Planes in New Guinea”, “Northern Gate is Unguarded”—those were typical headings of the kind of newspaper agitation that creates panic and builds wars. Newspaper correspondents began nagging at the Australian Ministers for Ex ternal Affairs, and Defence, asking what measures Australia is taking to meet “this new threat to our security”.

There is no Indonesian military threat to the security of the South Pacific countries. In that respect, Indonesia is no more dangerous than a grasshopper plague.

If Soekarno should turn his victorious soldiers towards West New Guinea, they could be dealt with easily by a Dutch destroyer

and a couple of well-trained com panies.

The Communists may—as is sus pected—have supplied some modern aircraft to Indonesia, but the small but very efficient RAAF is quite capable of protecting Australian New Guinea.

The danger lies, not in the military activities of Indonesia, but in its disintegration.

If the country should suffer economic collapse—and the more it plays at soldiers the more the pro cess is hastened —the way is opened to the establishment of a Com munist regime. The Communists are there waiting in organised force.

The appearance of a Communist Government, at the head of 83 million people—even if they are only Indonesians—would be an ugly thing for the South Pacific.

Meanwhile, preparations are afoot, for a conference in October, in Port Moresby or Canberra, of Dutch and Australian officials, who will discuss the co-ordination of plans for the better development of both West and East New Guinea. ☆

Islands Federation:

Possible or Impossible

THE new West Indies Federation came into existence on January 3, 1958. It is not completely self governing; but it hopes that within a few years it will be a self-govern ing State within the British Com monwealth.

It has a total land area, within these numerous islands, of about 7,800 square miles; and the total population is close to 3,000,000. The capital is Port of Spain, on the island of Trinidad.

The following are the former administrative areas which have entered into the Federation:

All these areas were in the care of the British Colonial Office. That made the constitutional procedure fairly simple.

Some similar Federation has been suggested for a section of the South Pacific Islands, as a means of solv ing a series of problems which arise in connection with their adminis trative and economic future. There are now 16 administrative areas in the South Pacific, namely:

Area (square miles) Population Leeward Is. . 715 123,000 Barbados 188 223,000 Jamaica . 4.45ft 1.500.000 Trinidad 1.5)70 878,000 Windward Is. 516 300,000 7,817 2,824,000

At first glance, the idea of a Federation here seems constitu tionally impracticable. Here are two British Colonies, two British protectorates, four Trust Territories, two French Territories, two Aus tralian Territories, one American Territory, one Dutch Territory, one Condomium —how would they ever get together?

It may be noted, however, that— except for West New Guinea, New Caledonia and French Polynesia— the official language in all of them is English. Another point is that Britain, or a British Dominion, al ready is responsible administra tive!* for 10 out of the 16.

It is not an easy problem—but it nevertheless is a problem, and it will not get any less through being ( ed.

A way to a solution was indicated when the six nations concerned set up the South Pacific Commission, in 1949. If an orthodox Federation is not practicable, some sort of a union certainly is, even if only a Customs union. ☆

Fiji Now Consults

A Professor

THE latest plan produced by the British Colonial Office for the solution of the numerous and peculiar and growing sociol-political problems of Fiji is the engagement of Professor O. H. K. Spate.

Professor Spate, Professor of Geography at the Australian National University, and a Research Scholar of Pacific Studies, has been commissioned to inquire into and report upon the working of the Fijians’ communal system.

The engagement is on all-fours with the recent appointment, as Governor of Fiji, of a 51-years-old administrative official who has spent the whole of his working life in West Africa, What can the worthy West African official, and the dis tinguished Professor of Geography from Canberra, tell the British Colonial Office about Fiji’s racial and communal problems that is not aiready available to British officials m Fiji, by contact with educated

and well-equipped people in Fiji who have lived close beside those problems all their lives?

How weary one becomes, in this harassed workaday world, of the way in which the bureaucrats try to dodge their responsibilities, and avoid decisions, by referring to out side experts the problems which— if they were fit for their highly paid jobs—they should be capable of handling themselves!

There is no mystery about Fiji’s communal problems, to call for the mumbo-jumbo of a University pro fessor.

It is simply a question of how the Fijian way of life can best be changed, from a communal village existence to a condition where they may (a) make better use of their lands and (b) more effectively meet —ec9nomically, socially, politically— the impact of the Westernised and educated Indian community.

All the necessary know-how al ready may be found in Fiji. It is a matter of creating a Government that is wise enough and strong enough to direct the necessary measures.

The embarrassing day of reckon ing is coming close, in Fiji. White hall is not going to postpone it, or make is any less embarrassing, by importing a Professor of Geography or a Scholar of Pacific Research, to waste months of time in compiling conclusions and recommendations that any one of a dozen experienced men in Fiji could make right now. ☆

Billion Spent

On The Colombo Plan

From when the Colombo Plan came into operation on July 1, 1951, up to mid-1957, the Colombo Plan countries have given the Southeast Asian countries no less than 3,500 millions of dollars (£A1,576,000,000). Of this, Australia contributed £3,242,688.

In addition, since 1949, the Inter national Bank has given the same countries loans totalling £A264 million.

Under the Colombo Plan, some 13,000 Asians have travelled over seas for professional and technical training, and hundreds of European experts, directed by United Nations and Colombo Plan managers, have gone to Asia to train Asians.

It is an idealistic conception.

Many people have no faith in it.

They believe that no effort of this kind can prevent the swamping of the European countries in the Pacific Oecan by Asian migrations.

They argue that the enormous ex penditures of the Colombo Plan could have achieved immense sociological good in the donor countries, whereas their effect on the vast populations of the Asian countries is practically negligible.

Why Do They

Hate Americans?

IN the last 20 years, the Unit States has made a gift to 1 “free world”—in efforts to hr restore the economy of natk directly and indirectly blasted two world wars—of no less th sevently thousand millions of di lars, ($70,000,000,000) which is prer close to forty billion poun (£40,000,000,000).

Many people have wondered hr America has been able to give aw this colossal sum and remain s* vent. Now they have someth* else to wonder about.

Why do an increasing number the world’s so called free natic display an increasing hatred of tt United States?

America does nothing to inju other nations. Americans abroc are friendly, helpful, generc people. And very many natia have been kept out of bankrupt by American funds, given withe strings.

Yet, lately there have been am American demonstrations in Fram in Middle East, North Africa, a], Indonesia. Vice-President Nixo making in South America a gooc will tour of the Latin republics, wj cursed, jeered at, spat upon ai. stoned in so many countries th he finally cancelled further vis< and returned home.

Now, we are told, Washingk highbrows are visiting each othe:' offices, trying to solve the proble of American unpopularity.

They may reach the answer I time. It seems apparent to ai, student of history and hums nature. It leads back directly to tl; fact that the overwhelming majorii of people are not yet fit to exercii the privileges of the freedom whk has been ladled out to themr mainly under American direction! in indigestible chunks, during tl; past couple of decades.

Up to about World War 11, Britain ruled an enormous Colonii Empire, exercising dictatorial powk with wisdom and justice. There wr not much political freedom amom her countless masses of Asiam Africans, etc. —but there were peali and order, sufficient food, no op pression, and reasonable contery ment. No attempt was made to biif their love with lavish gifts. Thfj may not have loved the British, bi they respected and trusted them and there were few —if anyT manifestations of popular hate. 1 Now all of Asia and much § Africa are “free and independent*) The inhabitants—no better off. n(t likely to be—seldom miss a chanc of being unpleasant to the WestJ|

Status Population Fiji Br. Cr. Colony 375,000 Papua Aust. Territory 350,000 N. Guinea • Aust. Trust . . 1,250,000 Solomons Br. Protect. .. 100,000 N. Hebrides .

Condominium . 50,000 N. Caledonia ..

French Terrty. 60,000 W. Samoa .

NZ Trust . . . 100,000 E. Samoa USA Terrty. . 23,000 Gilbert & Ellice Br. Cr, Colony 40,000 Cook Is NZ Terrty. . . 17.000 French Oceania French Terrty. 55,000 Nauru Aust. etc. Trust 3,500 Norfolk Is.

Aust. Territory 1,000 West N. Guinea Dutch Terrty. 700,000 Micronesia .

US Trust 60,000 Tonga Ind. Br. Prot. 55,000