Changing

Drama

Of Fiji

The publication of The Drama

of Fiji: A Contemporary History,

is another reminder of how

quickly developments move in

the Pacific these days.

Facts and figures on Fiji were banging as Dr. John Coulter was vriting his book, and there have >een more changes since its publica ion, and the period to review. Nine enths of the book was prepared be ore the London constitutional coh erence of 1965, and it was updated a a postscript which still does not ring the contemporary scene further ban the 1966 elections. The graphs nd statistics are much earlier.

In addition, some of Dr. Coulter’s assing comments seem outdated ow, because much of the body of ae work is based on three periods f field work—the first as early as 937 and the last one in 1960. He 'ould find, if he returned to Fiji now, lat many attitudes have changed.

Easy to read

The end result of all this is that he Drama of Fiji is not now any ling more than a rough guide to the sneral position in Fiji for those with passing interest in the colony. This ; a Pdy because in his general icture Dr. Coulter is fair, objective id easy to read, and it might have sen better if, like Burns, he had mcentrated more on the general arrative and less on statistics. The iok, well illustrated and produced here is an extraordinarily attractive nding) is broken up into sections i the Fijians, the Indians, govern ent, economic and social back *ound, and the future prospect.

For the future, he is guardedly ipeful that Fiji will overcome its ■oblems and settle down into a ippy multi-racial group. “There is st the beginnings of a sentiment id outlook which will gradually join e various ethnic groups and corn unities into a national unity,” he ys. “It is such a state of mind or ►-operation which has largely con ibuted to the welfare of Hawaii, here the author spent 13 years in e Department of Geography. It is e only long-time solution to the hnic problems of Fiji.”—EW. (The DRAMA OP FIJI. Published by lanes E. Tuttle Co. and distributed in istraha by Paul Plesch and Co. $3.80).