Territories Talk-Talk
pp. 31-34 · Read in the full issue
By Tolala
Radiation OVER-SHADOWED, possibly, by the major fall-out from gather ing war-clouds in the Middle East, the reports of the contamin ated Japanese ships in Rabaul with suspect crews suffering from radia tion, went almost unnoticed by the Australian public, despite a modicum of publicity to the incident.
But the calm manner in which the US gaily tosses A and H bombs into the atmosphere in the Eniwetok area creates, to my mind, a certain amount of apprehension and we are inclined to be far too apathetic in what goes on just outside the Terri torial area; thinking, perhaps, that because the tests occur the other side of the equator that that alone gives safety to ourselves.
The distance to Rabaul from Eniwetok is approximately the same as that between Rabaul and Rock hampton. Would the residents of Rockhampton maintain that same complacency if a nuclear device were set off somewhere around Rabaul? I’ll say they would not.
The disturbing aspect of the episode is the statement of Rabaul’s medical man, who (according to Press reports) said that the tests lor determining the presence of radiation amongst the crew was made with Japanese equipment because there was none suitable in Rabaul”.
Surely, if Uncle Sam persists in his A and H experiments in the Pacific, it is up to him to see that adequate tools of trade are supplied to all adjacent inhabited areas to test the possibility of radiation?
A few million dollars here or there in such experiments do not come into the picture. Premeditated goodwill actions would tend for better understanding—and less ad verse criticism (if that counts for anything in these days).
Is it possible that no liaison exists between the explosion centres and surrounding islands? It would be re assuring to have a statement from official spokesman” (of which, **o H?. t. there is one somewhere) on this phase of nuclear explosions m the Pacific.
FOOTNOTE: What of the recent explosion at Johnston Island which started the Hawaiians roarin’ and rampin’? The distance was about me same as between Eniwetok and Rabaul. Now work that one out.
They're Odd Bods,
Be Gad!
Eric Feldt’s challenge to anthro pologists ( PIM , July, p. 53) must have hit some of these long-haired men and women below the belt.
Anyway, he certainly hit the odd bod nail on the head in many of his remarks.
Itinerant anthropologists in TNG during the early ’2o’s were not so numerous, nevertheless those few immediately became suspect to the average European-layman and most certainly were an unknown quantity to the native.
No names, no pack-drill, but they usually received the imprimatur of the Administration as a result of re auests to “facilitate their research work.”
And on more than one occasion, far-flung government officials blessed them with vehemence as in terfering busy-bodies upsetting usual routine.
They did not become a real danger until after War 11, when their status was elevated as potential
founders of Administration policy, and theoretical plans overrode the observations of practical experience by long-yeared residents.
This attitude, despite change of government, has continued. In fact, if anything, it has increased.
And now we have not only anthro pologists touring the country on “research” work, but sociologists and psychologists propounding theories that contact with the West has been such an unsettling factor in native life that the reactions of the indigenes must be card-indexed and analysed, and possibly a mental home established for their observa tion !
To where does all this gobbledegook lead? And what ultimate advantage is it to the folk being “researched”?
Is it that there are so many spare “scientists” in Australia that some sort of a job has to be found for them? Or is it a gesture by Can berra to turn the spot-light on Aus tralia’s never-flagging interest in its Trust Territory?
A Blonde Complex?
One of the latest “leading Aus tralian scientists” to be delving into the whys and wherefores of native reaction in P-NG-a Dr. A. Sinclair —who has spent the long period of three months in “research work” — drops a blonde bomb amongst old Islands people by his somewhat naive statement, according to Sydney reports (always subject to repudiation, of course) that NG
The French frigate "Francis" paid a visit to the three New Guinea Territories in july-NNG, Australian NG, and Papua The vessel was commanded by Capitaine de Fregate Legrane, and on board was the C-in -C of French Naval forces in the Pacific - R ear Admiral Toulouse Lautrec.
The French Rear-Admiral and the Commander of the Navy in Netherlands New Guinea, Rear- Admiral A.M. Valkenburg, exchanged official visits. The Governor of Netherlands New Guinea, Dr. Platteel (centre),is shown here also visiting the warship. Several receptions and cocktail parties were held in honour of the French guests.
En route to the annual French pilgrimage to Yule Island (where the local Roman Catholic mission is in the charge of a French Order) a call was made at Lae-but here the visit was a great deal less formal.
natives bleach their hair owing to the awareness of their “difference between the white and himself.”
It is difficult to believe that such a leading scientist as Dr. Sinclair would make a statement of this nature. But so far I have heard of no refutation on his part.
Bleaching the hair by Tolai natives has been an accepted practice long before any Western influence was felt by these natives.
When the first Europeans came to New Britain they commented on this mode of bleaching the hair. It was done not from a beautician’s angle, but more from a hygienic aspect, to de-louse the hair and scalp by applying cooked coral (lime).
Natives in other areas adopt cranium mud-packs of iron oxide to obtain the same effect, as well as strengthening the roots of the hair.
But as for an attempt to imitate European blondes—either male or female—l won’t have that. (See Pacific Report, this issue).
Did These Yanks
Make It?
An RAAF officer has found the skeletons of four US flyers in the wreckage of war planes, which crashed in the New Britain bush during the war and were later dis covered by natives.
Mute reminders of those days when US, Aussie and NZ flyers plastered the Gazelle Peninsula with bullets and bombs. Too many bodies of these gallant lads will never be found.
Thumbing through an old note book the other day, salved from my boob” days in Rabaul, I came across the names of two US airmen who had apparently been taken prisoners and during their incarcera tion had scribbled their names in a couple of novels, which had circu lated in that mysterious way books do circulate in prison camps.
Their names were: Frank Kurisko of 63rd Bombing Squadron, with the date 7 6 43; and Phillip L. Bek, of Lansing, Mich., USA, dated 27/6/43.
I wonder whether they ever came out. Some US reader of PIM may be interested enough to find out.
Most Favoured Section Australia, and the Department of Territories in particular, can take a well-deserved bow on the UN Trusteeship Council’s bouquets on its TNG administration, based on the 1956-57 report, plus its own observations.
Indeed a laudable performance of stewardship following the lines of the UN blue-prints. Our task would be easier with less box-seat guid ance from Lake Success.
The statement of the Russian delegate about the Papuan portion of the Territory receiving more favourable attention than the Trust Territory brought a sharp denial from Minister Hasluck, naturally.
But in actual fact that preference does exist and has already been commented upon by our own local legislators from the Trustee section, and Moresby being the sanctum sanctorum of the bureaucratic VlP’s naturally encourages it.
Coincidental with the Minister’s
denial was the announcement that the Catalina service to various im portant centres in New Britain and Bougainville was to be suspended, which left the local residents “aghast” at the loss of this service, one that could not be replaced readily owing to the lack of suit able airstrips.
Viewed from Canberra, such a disruption of modern communica tion might appear of little moment, but to the locals it amounted to the same as discontinuing bus services between Sydney’s eastern suburbs and Central Railway.
Poor old Bougainville and Buka seem destined to be classed as the poor relations in the Territorial family, despite their prolific pro duction.
Some people still have the idea that they are politically included in the British Solomons. I remember in the First War when Rabaul was captured in September, 1914, Kieta was not taken over by our troops until December of that year.
Three months was a long time (even in those days) to be existing on fish and kaukau when other dis tricts were enjoying beer and bully beef—to say nothing of being able to receive news of what was hap pening in other parts of the world.
Another Book
Wanted
No response yet to my SOS in June issue for a copy of Where the Trade Winds Blow. I’m still hoping.
Another request has come along from a woman reader in Quean beyan, NSW, who wants a copy of Eric Feldt’s Coastwatchers, now out of print and hard to obtain.
Any copy in the House? If so, please contact me, c/o PIM. (Over)
Ready for the
H nusnngs It looks to me as though the valued areas of P-NG may come in for some mention during the forthcoming Federal elections.
The DLP has announced that its policy regarding West New Guinea is for it to become a Trust Territory under UN and given to Austraha to look after. What the Netherlands Government thinks of the Democratic Labourites buying
into a domestic affair has, at this time of writing, not been divulged, Deputy Opposition Leader Arthur Calwell who, with a couple of cobbers spent a fortnight up in P-NG on a “fact-finding mission”, gives full marks to Australian administration, classing the progress as “spec tacular”; but says much dough is needed for developing the “potential resources”, and incidentally reckons it will be 50 years ere the indigenes reach that State when they can stand on their own.
Federal Government Members are justly cock-a-hoop over the favourable (or should one say “not< unfavourable”) report of the Trusteeship Council, all of whicM will be good election ammunition. .
It should be borne in mind, how-’ ever, that there have been severai rather unhappy incidents since the period ended covered by the Admin-j istration report.
Question : Has the Administration work during the period under review/ been greater than hitherto, or ha;i the strength of the adverse critic-; ism diminished?
Colour or Culture
Over the ABC news recently ! heard a statement credited to re-s tiring P-NG Education Director Bill Groves about the establishment ox secondary schools in the with special facilities and curricula! for the native people.
And he pointed out that such; educational centres did not mean, that a policy of colour segregation' was being introduced so much as a means to contend successfully with, a differentiation of cultures.
That definition of the colour culture problem in primitives countries appears to me to be s very apt one and, despite utterance;? by research workers who damn colour prejudice as being a tremend-f ous hindrance to the advancement of the primitives, the greatest detri-f ment is really contained in that well-worn phrase “the clash 010 cultures” quite apart from the coloun angle.
Bill Groves is, unfortunately, on; way out, but his clarification of this colour/culture question coulol well be preserved.
Wat Tyler
Walks Again
It is a pity that unco-operative-e ness amongst a small section of therJ native community has gone to such? extremes as to refuse the paymenn ot he a d-t ax as instanced a l £ Navuneram and Taviliu in th wi Gazelle Peninsular of New Britainci.
The Tolais are inclined to be r stubborn, temperamental crowd atjs times. I remember a long-foughtrl whe . n , the Lakunai aero-o di ome was taken over, and alsca other episodes in the past, wherrs appeasement methods by the Ad-b ministration were misinterpreted asc weakness against native strength, .r There’s a Wat Tyler in the wood-fa pile somewhere and let’s hope therl matter can be settled quickly be-s foie the sparks fly upward ignitinggr other inflammable material.
And Wat Tyler may not have as swarthy skin at all. It’s not alwaysay the man who makes the bullets whoer hres them. ( Subsequent events mrn the Navuneram head-tax troubled cire covered elsewhere).