The Pacific

A Chance For The Pacific

From a Suva Correspondent

Vhen Mr. James Anthony,

eral secretary of the Whole ; and Retail Workers’ General on left Fiji on February 1 to ? up a scholarship at the Uni

iity of Hawaii, the Colony

generally surprised.

DT because Mr. Anthony had won a scholarship, not even be cause he would not, at least for e time, be able to resume his ire role in union affairs, but be ;e few people had heard of the larships in question, le reason for that is that this is first year the scholarships have i available.

S. Vice-President Lyndon John piloted the bill through the ite under which some 30 million irs will be granted by the U.S. artment of State in the next few s for an “East-West Centre” at University of Hawaii.

Everything Free

nong other things, the bill pro s for an eventual 2,000 two-year larships, designed to bring East West together in an academic □sphere. •ansportation, tuition, room and ■d plus a study tour to the US

mainland are all provided for the successful applicants who can study in any field they wish except medicine and law.

As the project really got rolling only about last October, probably not more than 200 scholarships have been granted this year, including three to Fiji, to Mr. Anthony, Manu Tupou, Fiji Visitors’ Bureau officer at Nadi, and to James Surendra Jagai, a student.

But by going the right way about it, Fiji, and indeed other Pacific islands should be able to stake quite a claim to these scholarships in the future.

Naturally, Asia’s many students will be after them, but by immedi

ately setting up local committees to consider possible applicants for next year’s scholarships, the Pacific territories should be able to submit some solid opposition.

Lethargy will simply see the Pacific students’ chances lapse, with all the scholarships going to Asians.

Surely, the chance is too good for Fiji to let drift by. Now is the time for the Government to set up a small screening committee, such as operates in the awarding of other famous scholarships overseas.

There need be no qualms about lack of ability. As one visiting educationist sighed in Fiji recently: “There’s a whole university here, with no place to go.”

[?]s Anthony, Fiji union leader who took [?]in the Fiji oil company disputes of 1959, [?] led to the Suva riots. He now has a scholarship in Hawaii.