Soekarno Eyes
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
The Pacific
In Djakarta, in April, speaking to delegates from 37 nations gathered for the 10th anniversary of the first Afro-Asian Confer ence, President Soekarno said the Pacific would not always remain pacific.
Independence movements would rise in Pacific nations, he said, and Indonesia “was prepared to give help at any time to anyone, including weapons and personnel, to the cause of helping independ ence.”
What nations was he referring to? He didn’t say, but a look at the map would indicate that he must have in mind the island territories of the South Pacific.
The nations bordering the Pacific basin have no independence problems. These are Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, Canada, the US, Mexico and the west coast of Latin America.
Hawaii is an American State.
Western Samoa is independent and Tonga is virtually so. But the US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Micronesia) has a growing political problem, and so have Nauru, New Guinea, the Solomons, New Hebrides and Fiji, The Cook Islands will shortly be getting internal self-govern ment. New Caledonia and French Polynesia are parts of France.
New Guinea and Fiji probably present the greatest opportunity for outside intervention.