[?] "Close Relation"

onga Clarifies Its Position

Between Japan

And Tonga

lit is not true that the Kingdom Tonga is about to enter into very close association with pan, says the Secretary to the overnment of Tonga, Mr. W. . A. Miller. However, there is '“potential for increased con cts with Japanese agencies on

jpurely scientific and commer

ill level”.

JR. MILLER makes these obser i vations in a letter to the editor of PIM, in March, referring to article published in February saded, “Japan, Tonga Move >oser Together’ ”.

The article consisted almost en- Eely of a verbatim report of a oadcast made from Radio Japan, English, on February 3, and xen down on a tape recorder by a \M staff man.

Commenting on several of the .itements in the report, Mr. Miller’s Iter says; “The article indicates that a »entific expedition from Kyoto diversity is to visit the Kingdom the invitation of the Government, actual fact, whilst in Japan at ;e end of last year, the Premier uS approached by the Kyoto Uni rsity authorities to discover jiether such a proposed expedition iuld be welcome. They were ad ,jed to refer the matter to the overnment and a formal request is since been received and is be g considered by the Government.

Not Japanese Crew “It would appear from the section the article devoted to the fishing issel Teiko, that the vessel has ;en obtained with a full Japanese :ew, whereas the only person en- Sged in Japan for full-time service . this vessel is the Chief Engineer the vessel’s main engine and the Eijority of its ancilliary mechanical luipment is Japanese.

“The delivery crew from Japan :ought the vessel as far as Pago igo and were repatriated from lere by air shortly after their irival. The Delivery Master for this :,rticular voyage was Mr. I. Naoi, :io is a Fisheries Officer in the onga Civil Service and has been iployed as such since mid-1957.

“A Tongan crew took over the issel at Pago Pago and it is at

3 sent on its first fishing voyage in targe of Mr. Naoi, in the capacity I Fishing Master.

PThe Japanese broadcast which ji have so extensively quoted in :ur article is based to a large ex ht on an error in spelling. The gglish spelling of the girl’s name aquestion is Tateiri Keiko and not [iko. ?Teiko is the Tongan name for the hty tern and was chosen as there !» several Tongan names for sea- Dds which begin with the letter ' and these can be appropriately ed when it is decided to acquire wre fishing vessels.

Tt will therefore be appreciated at the reported episode concern ;-r a little girl and a doll had noth v whatever to do with the nam v of the fishing vessel concerned.

“In conclusion, I would refer to s impression which is to be gained tom this article that the Kingdom 2s or is about to enter into a very stse association with Japan.

"Erroneous"

“This is erroneous and overlooks E reason for acquiring this fishing ssel from Japan, which recognises Ee fact that the Japanese are pre- Ainent in the sphere of tuna fish g, especially in long-line methods >d that it is axiomatic to obtain rvice and other forms of assistance om the best available sources.

“Additionally, with the consider lle industrial development which ipan has achieved over the last 10 Ears or so and the large range of oducts that has thus been made sailable at competitive prices and view of the efforts which are iing made by Government to in- E3ase productivity in the Kingdom ;ere is naturally a potential for creased contacts with Japanese icncies on a purely scientific and mmercial level.”

I[ EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Milter’s \ferences to Japan-Tonga relations )Cak for themselves. With reference the tuna vessel, although the adio Japan broadcast may have ven the impression that a Jap iese crew would be used in ,T eiko”, “PlM’s” news column of the \me issue, p. 136, reported specific ly that she would be the first •:ruth Pacific vessel to engage in \\panese long-line methods of deep \iter tuna fishing with an Islands \ew. An index reference to this em was given on the same page the Radio Japan report. What 'IM’” now learns for the first time a result of Mr. Miller’s letter is *at the Tongan vessel bears a yngan name and not a Japanese le. Mr. Miller’s letter was received •fore the “Teiko” was reported i issing. ”PIM” hop°s the news of er will be better than it looks as ■ese pages are being printed .]