The editors' Maukdag

Factors in the HCL

of the BSI

“I produce copra and, unlike those gentlemen on the other side of an ? imaginary line, just northwestwards of my place—that is, over in New Guinea —I have to pay income tax,” writes “Solomon Islands Planter.”

“Over there in New Guinea they have many amenities, provided out of an annual grant of £lO millions each year by Australia, and they pay only an export tax.

“I cannot imagine why the British Colonial Office hangs on to this group. It has no economic value now —nor is it likely to have any unless a lot of money is spent in develop ment. With such expenditure, BSI (which, next to the New Guinea Territory, has the largest land area in the South Pacific) really could be worth something. But Britain is not spending anything on real de velopment.

“The British treat this as an isolated tropical colony, and the un fortunate wretches who are sent here to govern us therefore get tropical leave and all the privileges (six months’ leave every so often, first-class return fare to England for the whole family, and so on) far more than the people engaged in private enterprise.

“The cost of the BSI Administra tion last year was £193,000. No wonder they take income tax off us.”

Indonesia's Political and

Economic Instability

A gentleman who apparently is an Indonesian student at an Australian University writes chidingly to PIM.

He cannot understand why we so consistently express an unfriendly feeling towards Indonesia.

We are not unfriendly towards Indonesians—they are an Indo- Malayan people with many admir able qualities.

But we are hostile to the condi tions created in the East Indies by the gang of political adventurers which seized power after World War 11, committed such outrages upon Dutch personnel and Dutch possessions, and opened the way for the establishment there of a Com munist State. ..The maintenance of Dutch rule in west New Guinea is vital to the maintenance of Australian and oouth Pacific security.

Present indications are that Indonesia, after its recent “victories” over the rebels, will turn south wards with the modern equivalents oi horse, foot and artillery, and at

tack Western New Guinea. Which, of course, must have immediate effect on Australian New Guinea.

Indonesia’s economy has been de teriorating all this year, and now is in very bad shape. Soekarno’s “government” cannot continue in definitely along present lines—some thing must break somewhere.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s economic disorderliness is an important factor in the copra market. Tens of thousands of tons, held off the market by paralysed transport, may either be ruined, or shipped un expectedly, dislocating all market ing and milling plans, and sending prices haywire.

While President Soekarno and his irresponsible politicians remain, Indonesia can be regarded only as a bad neighbour and a political menace.

Australia gets Some

Praise from UNO

w From a “retired Islands public servant”, now resident in New Zea land : “Can you tell me whether the pre sent brand of UNO Trusteeship Council approves or disapproves of what has been done in the Trustee Territories —by Australia in New Guinea and by NZ in Western Samoa? Does United Nations think we really have done the indigenous people a service in these places?”

Briefly, the answer is that the great majority of nations approve of our achievements in those two Territories. As is usual in such things, one hears a great deal of the howling and • criticisms of the irresponsible little nations in UNO, who never lose a chance of attack ing what they call “colonialism,” and nothing of the praise given Austro-NZ achievements.

For example, this is from a Reuter news-despatch from UNO, dated July 29: “The UN Trusteeship Council adopted a laudatory report, prepared by a special committee, on popula tion, land utilisation and land tenure in Australian-administered New Guinea.”

The report commended Australia for its attention to the problem of high population densities in certain areas which could lead to a serious shortage of land; and for the suc cess so far achieved in the develop ment of a cash economy in order to improve the standard of living of the people.

The report noted that, while ex penditure on education and public

health services had been increasing in the Trust territory, adult illiteracy remained at a high level and that only about 50 per cent, of school-age children were receiving primary education.

Fiji Service as a

Sacred Duty

Our argument that the time has come for an authoritative revision of the Fiji Constitution —set out in the article, “Concerning a New Gov ernor in Fiji,” in June “PlM”—has brought several comments, mostly favourable.

Mr. J. Madhaven, who is Indian elected Legco member for Fiji Eastern Division, and President of the Fiji Teachers’ Union, is emphatic that the British Colonial Office has failed to recognise Fiji’s real needs, under present-day conditions. He believes that it is easily possible to build a larger measure of self government on friendly contacts and goodwill between the different racial communities in Fiji.

He plans to make a formal move in the*, direction of asking the British Colonial Office to set up a Royal Commission to investigate the administrative and judicial systems in Fiji, with a view to reform.

On Mr. Madhavan’s letterhead is the slogan: “Fiji is my home —to serve its people is my sacred duty.”

A few more Madhavans would be helpful to the Colony. The solution of Fiji’s difficulties lies not with the Colonial Office, but in positive action by the leaders of the Fiji communities—European, Fijian, Chinese and Euronesian.

Will the NGVR

Story be Told?

Whether or not the full story of what the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles did in New Guinea in the early days of the Pacific war, will ever be adequately covered, we do not know. But if it is not, it will not be the fault of Mr. Roy Macgregor, of Madang, whose letters to PIM have stirred up fresh interest in the subject.

Mr. Gavin Long, General Editor of the Australian Official War History doesn’t let everything Mr.

Macgregor says go unchallenged, however, and says that it is untrue that the War History staff has not contacted anyone in the Madang section of the NGVR. He goes on; “I am afraid that he has for gotten that I interviewed him in Sydney on September 24, 1943, and that then, and later in 1943, he lent me copies of various letters and reports and his diary for the first half of 1942. My notes (made therefrom) including extracts from the diary, cover 22 pages, and have been most helpful.”