Commentary

Couldn't Happen In

i—Or Could It?

EWS that the Fiji Government is thinking about allowing families fapanese fishermen to settle tem irily in Fiji (p. 9) is an interest development. ccording to the official statement, families will be limited to 105, they are “expected to remain r four or five years and then re to Japan”, hat, of course, may be the theory t. But, despite strict immigration ; and a determination on the part he Government to see that the mese go home, some people may excused for having some mis igs.

'hat would happen, for instance, t the end of four or five years, a d war should break out and it me physically impossible to re late the Japanese? nd if that happened, how would Government keep its promise to ; the number of families to 105? ild it prohibit the children of the families from marrying and hav families of their own? is hardly likely that it would, the result might be that by the of the war, there would be twice nany Japanese in Fiji as there ; originally. Those born in the »ny would have no ties with their eland, and if they wished to re i in Fiji after it again became ible to send them to Japan, it is : possible that diplomatic pressure d be brought to bear to allow i to stay. le facts of history indicate that kind of eventuality is not as etched as it might seem, so it orthwhile to recall just what has iened in the Pacific in the past, almost every case where Asians been allowed to settle in the h Pacific, they have not gone e when the Governments that yed them in expected they would, ike Tahiti, for example. In 1864, French Government passed a law fitting 1,000 Chinese coolies to 3 Tahiti for seven years to work le cotton plantations of the Tahiti on and Coffee Plantation Co.

At the end of seven years, all Chinese who wished to return to ia were to be repatriated, at the tation company’s expense, hat happened? At the end of a years, the plantation company

was bankrupt, its manager in Tahiti was dead, and whether the Chinese wanted to return to China or not, they had no way of getting home. So they stayed, and their numbers have now grown to more than 7,000.

Take the New Hebrides. In 1921, the French authorities permitted Ton kinese to be brought to the Group as plantation labourers. Their term of contract was five years, with the op tion of re-engagement for further terms of one or two years and re patriation at the end of the term.

The repatriation arrangement was strictly adhered to until the Japanese war started. Then it became impos sible to send the Tonkinese home.

Since the war, political conditions in Vietnam (formerly Tonkin) have changed, and although the French authorities in the New Hebrides are willing to send the Tonkinese home, and although most of the Tonkinese want to go, diplomatic difficulties have prevented this.

There is no certainty that these dip lomatic difficulties will ever be solved.

Meanwhile, the 1,000 Tonkinese who were in the New Hebrides when war broke out have increased to more than 2,000.

In New Caledonia, there is a similar situation, with 2,000 Tonkin ese awaiting repatriation following a sudden break-off of repatriation voyages in April, 1961, due to diplo matic difficulties.

These examples may serve as a re minder that, despite the good inten tions of governments and others, un foreseen problems can arise which prevent them from carrying out their promises. What has happened in Tahiti, New Caledonia and the New Hebrides could happen in Fiji, and it is as well to bear it in mind.

Good News From

West- Samoa

THIS time last year the newly in dependent state of Western Samoa was faced with an estimated budget deficit of more than £232,000.

There was even talk of bankruptcy, which brought heated retorts from the Samoan Minister for Finance, Mr. G. F. D. Betham.

Last month Mr. Betham tabled his financial report for the first full year of independence. It showed that his anticipated deficit had resulted in a surplus of about £76,000, and that,

economically, things looked much brighter than anybody had expected.

It’s good news. Mr. Betham de serves credit for his part in it and for the ardent way he has championed the young nation’s cause.

As he himself says, although the first year’s hurdle is over, another year of similar restraint would not be in the best interests of a young and vigorous nation. With the outside help already being received and further help promised for the future, Western Samoa’s approach to its many prob lems ‘must necessarily be broadened in scope and intensity with the least delay”.

Surely Not- 50 Years

For the New Hebrides?

APIM staff writer reports on p. 63, after visiting the New Hebrides, that none of the Europeans he spoke to foresaw the New Hebrideans gov erning themselves in less than a generation, and that some predicted “that self-government is at least 50 years away.”

This must make sad reading in some parts of the Pacific.

It’s not five years since they would have laughed anybody out of New Guinea who talked of self-govern ment there in 30 to 40 years—and they’re now thinking of it in terms of five to ten!

Ten years ago most New Zealan ders in West Samoa would not have believed anybody who tried to insist that Samoa could really be an inde pendent state in 1962, and balance its budget into the bargain!

It is becoming painfully obvious that these days one should be wary of attempting to outline a programme for political progress in the South Seas. The world has suddenly become a small place, with unpredictable pressures operating at unexpected times.

Especially with the complications of a British-French Condominium, no one has a right to expect that the New Hebrides won’t have its pres sures too. They could come from any direction, including from inside, and the fact that most New Hebrides’ resi dents themselves don’t expect them is of little account.

The New Hebrides has now gone on so long without spectacular poli tical development that its time must surely be coming.

Possibly its best hope for the future is a continuation of the Con dominium system, but with develop ment activity greatly stepped up by both partners. There appear to be signs that this is just the approach that is being taken.