Commentary

C: Make It Of Some

al Use, Or Kill It!

TER a year ago, some know ledgeable people, meeting in Canberra, deliberated over the i-moribund body of the South ific Commission. should have been gently isthetised, and buried; or, altern jly, given a new shape, and some i, so that it might help the six iber nations to find answers to administrative problems now ng up over the whole length and dth of the South Pacific, stead, it was given a new coat aint, and told to change direc somewhat, and really hump it along. Nothing of any moment happened since. A new Secre -General took over in 1958; but ould do little, because, through [nations and what-not, the arch Council was without active :tors during the year. The Corn ion could do little, beyond ishing a good deal of excellent ature, and waving its shingle in ;oft breezes of Anse Vata Beach. >w comes, in Rabaul (see page the fourth Triennial South fic Conference, surrounded by isual evidence of good organisa ilegates from 18 Territories are g to discuss subjects affecting ■ social, economic and health are —but anything really serious erning political and adminis ve conditions will be strictly . Which—even if the social, :h and economic resolutions ever me the mainsprings of action he six nations—is the measure le conference’s uselessness. te South Pacific Commission, in beginning, was a really good and it attracted some first men to the Research Council, it was put in the wrong place imea) and it has been ham ig by the employment of some npetent ditherers on the Corn- Loner level, and by the ignor and indifference of the party icians who become ministers, whose job it is to implement ;ever recommendations the mission sends to the member ms. -as happened in the West bs —this organisation could be to provide a framework for torial re-alignment and admin tive reform in the South Pacific, :t could be made worth while, srwise, it were better dead. ie Triennial Conference —t h e good thing that has come out he effort—could be kept going

by a Sydney or Suva-based organ isation, at a tithe of the cost of the

Spc.

Indonesia: A Farce Or

A Tragedy?

THE South Pacific countries do not know whether to classify the Indonesian-West New Guinea situation as farce or tragedy —it contains much of each.

But the steady deterioration of the Indonesian structure is not some thing to be lightly commented upon.

In the long view, what happens in the East Indies must affect our future, down here in the shadow of Asia.

There has been one general election in Indonesia since the political gang—created by the Jap anese and headed by Soekarno — took over in 1946. This was to form a Parliament, with a responsible government on Western lines.

But it never functioned. The gang held control and it has achieved three things—established Soekarno as a dictator, who forms his own government, without reference to an elected Parliament; it has oppressed and driven out the Dutch and part- Dutch, and seized their property: and permitted the Communist Party to become the country’s biggest political organisation, with a definite influence on government.

Feeble and corrupt administration has reduced Indonesia to a deplor able condition. Even as this is writ ten, the radio is announcing savage fighting against “rebels” in the Celebes, and another rebellion in Sumatra, where British rubber plantations are being seized.

One of the factors in forcing the market to give our planters nearly £AIOO per ton for copra, just now, is the continued inability oi the wretched Indonesian growers to get labour for copra-making, and ships to send copra to the markets.

Dr. Soekarno has sent Dr.

Subandrio (his “Foreign Minister ) to Canberra to seek Australia s good will in relation to West New Guinea.

Instead of treating this with the contempt it deserved, Aust ™J ia J government made the faux pas oI the month by formally announcing that, if Indonesia could make a peaceful settlement with the Nethe lands, Australia would not oppose.

Certainly, Indonesia's demand for West NG is only pchtical stimtmg Soekarno waves it around, to divert the attention of his masses from tnpir internal woes. But even although the 83 mi!li 9“ tn I "J l0 " e e S n|ce have little more military menace

about them than 83 million sheep, Australia dare not allow them to enter West New Guinea, and pro vide an easy land bridge from Asia to Australasia.

The president of North Vietnam, Dr. Ho Chi-minh (how these doctors keep bobbing up in South east Asia politics!) has been State visiting Dr. Soekarno in Djakarta, and publicly junketing and orating.

The two doctors agreed that North Vietnam’s campaign to seize (“liberate”, they called it) South Vietnam was in the same category as Indonesia’s determination to “liberate” West New Guinea.

The interesting point is that Dr.

Ko is a well known Communist leader and North Vietnam is a hot Communist State, closely associated with Red China, whereas South Vietnam is stubbornly anti-Com munist. ik ☆ ☆

Sydney Show Display—

For Natives Only

THE suggestion made by the Rabaul merchants —t hat the planters and manufacturers of Papua and New Guinea should combine to provide, at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, a display of the worth-while products of the Terri tory, had much to commend it. It was hoped that merchants and planters would do something about it.

But —surprisingly—the Territories Department has decided to make a display at the Show. Minister Hasluck announced in early March that, at the Show —to begin in late March—there would be a display of two traditional native houses shipped from Port Moresby, fruits and com mercial crops produced by natives, native timbers and a photographic representation of the work of the P-NG Administration.

An admirable example of Depart mental initiative; but what is the use of it?

All Australia knows that, each year, between ten and fifteen millions of pounds of Australian tax payers’ money are being spent on governing P-NG’s 13 million natives and (supposedly) on “improving” their standard of living; but one cannot imagine that the average Australian taxpayer is enthusiastic about the enternrise, or crazy to see the paraphernalia with which it is accomplished. , .

On the other hand, an exhibit of the natural resources of the great Territory, latent and developed, and a demonstration of how enterprise and industry, both European and native, are being harnessed to make the Territory more self-supporting, and a display of data to show the opportunities that await the young man in New Guinea (that is, if anything is left for individualism under the Hasluck regime) would be

very interesting, and almost cer tainly profitable.

The cost of the Department’s dis play probably will run into four figures. If that money had been put into the hands of P-NG merchants, and an appeal made to them for cc-operation, the Show Exhibit should have been well worth while.

But —as u s u a I—the Department plans only in terms of natives. ☆ ☆ ☆

Could a Yank Sputnik

Bring Back Colonialism?

ABOUT 20 years ago, a world wide howl against Colonialism became prominent, and the chorus was notable for its American accent.

In the beginning, we ignored the noise. In any event, United States always has been the home of rat bag organisations, especially in the fields of religion and politics.

Then, with World War II over, the Anti-Colonial noise really be came embarrassing. Moscow en dorsed it, as a means of weakening Britain and France, and the post war planners and the bearded idealists gave it shape. American influence brought strength to it — for by now United States was World Power I. . .

And now, for the record, see where Anti-Colonialism has led us. The writer of this commentary began first to take an interest in world affairs 50 years ago, so writes from what he actually has seen.

Britain was forced to surrender or give “independence” to India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Ghana and South Africa.

And now Cyprus.

France was obliged to give up Indo-China and all those large Territories in North Africa.

The Netherlands was forced out of the East Indies.

Under “Colonialism”, every one of those Territories—except perhaps Palestine—enjoyed peaceful and orderly government, and the people, under British, French or Dutch rule, walked in safety and fed in comfort. The stranger could travel without molestation in every one of them. Here and there, groups of “nationalists” Shouted and intrigued for “freedom”, but they did little harm. It was a good, clean, com fortable world.

Now, they all have their “freedom.”

With the solitary exceptions of India and South Africa, there is no peace, comfort, security or “demo cratic government” in any of them (and there is social and political strain in India and South Africa).

Representative government, after the Western style, has broken down in all of them, and practically all are under some form of dictatorship, which is far more oppressive than Colonialism.

The disorders, the hatreds and the cock-eyed political nostrums of the ex-Colonies now have spread widely across Africa. There already is grave trouble in the centre —and that is nothing to what will happen when the flare-up comes in South Africa.

It is only a dream, of course— but the world would be very happy if America could persuade one of its Sputniks to bring back a magic wand from the distant heavens, and use it to restore Colonialism and all its evils, including peace, internal order and comfortable living.

And that would be real justice— because if it had not been for American planners, and the screech ing, irresponsible American press, Colonialism would not have been destroyed so long before the people were ready to exercise the privileges of “freedom”. ☆ ☆ ☆

1945 Blunderers Created

Berlin Crisis of 1959

IN 1945, the United States and Britain, partly bemused by vic tory and partly exhausted by the greatest war ever, allowed Moscow to build the Iron Curtain across Europe and —worst of all — to imprison a third of Germany within the Communist bloc.

While that stupendous challenge to human freedom and world decencies is allowed to remain, there seems no escape from World War 111. World War 111 could mean the end of civilisation —Red as well as Western—and of much of the human race.

The average man cannot believe that the human race will commit suicide. Since the sinister Stalin was replaced by the merry Khrushchev, and the gates of Moscow thrown open to the West, we have been inclined to believe that the danger of suicide through nuclear fission is past.

We can look at the events of February-March, and undeceive ourselves.

There are stresses in the Far East and strains in the Middle East; but the real danger lies right in the middle of Europe, in Germany.

The Anglo-Americans, in 1945, planned a Germany that should be beaten so far into the ground that she could not again disturb Europe’s peace. But the incredible diplomacy of Roosevelt and Truman allowed Russia to occupy half Europe, and establish the Red Empire. So, with in three years, America was frantic ally rebuilding Germany, to assist in the defence of the West.

Now West Germany is rebuilt, and strong; and we know that she will never rest until East Germany is restored to the Reich. Rather than face the bitter issue, our Western diplomats are prepared to leave

great freedom-loving peoples, the Poles and the Czechs and Hungarians, under the Russian yv and to forget them. But the W Germany which we rebuilt to asj in our own defence, will not lets forget.

There is one fundamental tH to be always remembered in situation —namely, the Slav h* and fears the Teuton, and whenu the Teuton has met the Slav he on, in open warfare, the Teu literally has hammered the sis case out of the Slav.

If the Germans, equipped supported by United States Britain —and perhaps by Franei should attack Russia, the Sov;\ Red Empire inevitably will collar and the ten European nations I enslaved by Russia would reg' their democratic freedom.

The Moscow Reds know this. TT is why Khrushchev is forcing Berlin issue to the edge of war..' knows that if he can somehow chi and hold West Germany, the C«r munists have a chance of unoi mining and destroying the We'' strength in America and the Brii Commonwealth. If West Germn is not checked, and the Bes salient is allowed to remain cb in behind the Iron Curtain, Curtain eventually will be broko Events of the next four or months, at Berlin, may show uj way out. At the moment, it se«s unlikely. The West’s blunders diplomacy of 1945 surely laid foundation of this Berlin cr: of 1959.

Furthermore, if this new Germr should be instrumental in topple the Communist Empire, would I not be faced again—as we were -1914 and in 1939—with a Powers strong and ambitious that should have difficulty in living w it?