Saipan to be Capital of US Trust Territory

From Ralph Craib in San Francisco Saipan will return to civilian administration on July 1 and will also become the first provisional capital of the US Pacific Islands Trusteeship Territory.

Saipan has been under Naval administration since January 1, 1953.

After July, however, it will return to the Trusteeship Territory headed by High Commissioner M. W. Coding.

United Nations Visiting Missions have urged that Saipan’s ad ministration be co-ordinated with that of other islands administered by the United States under UN Trusteeship. The United States told the UN Trusteeship Council last year that it agreed “in principle” with the idea.

High Commissioner Coding will now send a survey team to Saipan to make future plans for the area.

Under Naval administration, the 8,500 residents of the Saipan District have become largely self-supporting. They export both beef and a variety of agricultural products. UN Visiting Missions have commended the Navy for its health and educational programmes.

The capital of the Trusteeship Territory has been at Guam, outside the Territory, because shipping and airline connections made this advan tageous. When Saipan becomes the capital, however, the Trusteeship area will be administered from within its own boundaries for the first time.

Government spokesmen said that they hoped that the move of administration headquarters would assist the islanders toward self determination.