Adviser Takes

British Pacific

A Close Look

By a Staff Writer

The future of Britain’s Pacific Island territories will be influenced by an extensive tour of the South Pacific now being made by Mr.

Trafford Smith, CMG, an Assistant Under-Secretary for the Colonies, who is principal British adviser on South Pacific problems.

MR. SMITH began his tour in January and will not complete it before March. He is visiting Fiji, the GEIC, Tonga, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, BSIP, P-NG, Aus tralia and NZ.

There could be far-reaching con stitutional changes in the British Pacific in the next year or two and undoubtedly the data currently being collected by Mr. Smith will be valuable.

In the Gilbert and Ellice Group in early January, where he made his first extensive tour, Mr. Smith told a radio audience that he wanted to take back to London as com plete a picture as possible of what the GEIC wanted in the future. He invited people to give him their views as he went around.

He said no doubt some people feared Britain wanted to give independence to her remaininng colonies “as quickly as possible and so cut down her overseas responsibi lities”, but, he added: “I can assure you that while we do not want un necessary delay in developing local self-government —if only because the absence of it arouses so much criticism (a lot of it sadly ill-in formed) in the rest of the world, especially in the UN—there is no wish from our side to cut our ties with those who want to stay closely linked with Britain. Britain will be glad to continue to help these islands if they wish it.”

Later in the month, visiting Nukualofa, Mr. Smith had talks with the Tongan Premier, Prince Tungi, which were described locally as “of an important nature”. It was stated that Mr. Smith might return in March if further discussions were warranted.

Mr. Smith is due to leave Sydney for Wellington on March 1. Towards the end of April, Mrs. Eilene White, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, will visit the Pacific.