kind words
pp. 91-93 · Read in the full issue
And some kind words from all over
Secretary-general of the South Pacific Commission, Afoafouvale Misimoa: Happy Birthday! And many many happy returns of the day! Of course we cannot let your fortieth birthday pass without an eyebrow being raised.
Only forty years old—born 1930! But it seems as though we have always had a PIM. Robson could have started it up earlier.
Well the PIM has carved out such a niche for itself in the South Pacific and now Micronesia that it would be unthinkable to try to do without it. We must lay plans for its perpetuation.
Your coverage is widespread, very widespread indeed, and one of the things 1 like best about PIM is that I cannot read it through once and feel satisfied that 1 had thoroughly read it. Indeed I like picking up the same issue repeatedly and repeatedly finding something i had previously missed—ingeniously tucked away somewhere.
With candor, impartiality, and a good balanced sense of humour you present news in true image, full colour and clear focus. Don’t lose your gift. You have truly earned the title—“ News Magazine of the South Pacific”.
My very best wishes and congratulations and may PIM ever prosper.
Sir Michael Gass, High Commissioner for the Western Pacific: It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity to congratulate "PIM” on reaching its 40th birthday.
There are not many magazines that reach this milestone, and the task for "PIM” has not been the easier for having to carry on through the difficult war years and to serve the many different peoples of the farflung island territories of the Pacific.
Yet "PIM” has achieved this feat with acknowledged success, for it has a solid readership all through the Islands, and is the only magazine or periodical that caters for all of us, regardless of which terirtory we live in and whether our work is in the commercial, government or mission sphere. "PIM” is required reading for anyone whose work or life lies in the Islands.
Not only are we grateful for the coverage of what goes on in the other territories: we also appreciate the fair and unbiased reporting of events and trends in our own islands. r his applies particularly at a time like the present, when throughout the South Pacific so much political and economic change is taking place.
We realise the difficulties that beset the magazine’s small staff, for they must not only get on with the job of writing and editing and meeting the printer’s deadline but by constant travelling must keep in
personal touch with the latest developments in all the territories.
FI M’s" success in meeting these demands has brought •it increasing recognition as an outstanding general authority on the Pacific, and I look forward to reading it for many more years to come.
Vice-chancellor University of Papua and New
Guinea, Dr. J. T. Gunther; I began reading and enjoying PIM in 1935; there was a lapse of a few years from 1938-46 and since then I have been again a regular reader.
R. W. Robson was, and I suppose still is, a formidable figure; so formidable that in 1946 the then Minister, Eddie Ward, refused to allow him to visit the territory, although Judy Tudor was allowed to come. I can remember late one evening the then Administrator, Colonel J. K. Murray, ringing me and saying he had made an appointment for me to see Judy the following morning. He actually used the words, “She is a formidable person”.
He told me the story that knowing the Minister’s objection to R. W. Robson, and. he assumed, to Pacific Islands Monthly, he had decided that he would give Judy a half-hour appointment and that he would himself talk for the whole period so that she could not ask questions.
He decided to use the story of a visit he and I and a few others made to Maprik, where we were greeted by 10.000 completely naked people.
He said later he told her that Maprik had only been opened as a station since 1938 and then had been closed for a while during the war. but then an ANGAU base had been established and it had been reopened again by civil administration in 1946.
He described the primitiveness of the people.
Mrs. Tudor heard him him out and then said— yes, she knew the area well, she had first gone in there in 1928, 10 years before the Administration had set up a post!
Over the years I have had the pleasure of coming to know R. W. Robson, and found that he was never as formidable as some of his articles might suggest; indeed one had to admire him greatly; after predicting that with the introduction of alcohol there would be rape and mayhem in New Guinea, a few years later he had the good grace to say how wrong he had been.
In world affairs the Pacific is a forgotten area, except for the occasional report of an atom bomb test. Because of the small populations and their scattered nature, the kind of help that has been given to Africa, Asia, and to Latin America has not been available. It would seem that the Pacific people might eventually come into some sort of loose-knit community and the presence of a journal like PIM will certainly help towards this. I wish PIM well.
Chairman, Burns Philp and Company Ltd.,
Mr. David Burns: On the occasion of "PlM's" 40th anniversary I would like to pay tribute to the unique contribution your magazine has made to Pacific Islands journalism throughout the long period of its existence.
Our company has been a regular subscriber I think, right from the early issues of "PIM" and through our subsidiaries in Fiji, New Hebrides and Papua-New Guinea we have, because of its wide coverage and universal acceptance, advertised regularly in your columns.
As well as bringing to the people of the South Pacific all the worthwhile news of topical, regional, and international interest, "PIM", in its lively and constructive criticism of
political events and administrative policies, Has done much to present a well informed and balanced opinion to all people, both here and abroad, interested in Pacific Island affairs.
As Australia moves closer towards an acceptance of responsibility to countries of the Pacific, I think "PIM" will play an increasingly important part.
The Pacific Island area, as our company knows it, would be the poorer for the loss of your journal and I wish it a long life and continued success in the years ahead.
Director, Research School of Pacific Studies,
Australian National University, Prof. 0. H. K. Spate: You ask a "paragraph or two". When did you know an academic who could express himself save through volumes of verbal epidemic? You know that we are most unhappy when asked to keep it short and snappy. But though I think your query strange I must confess that I've a liking for "faits divers" and there your range in space and time is more than striking.
Your pages glean some curious notion from every island in the ocean, of cargo cults and ancient pots and shipping tales from half the globe; you have quite a lovely line in plots from Derwent House or Konedobu; for those who like a well-told story, half-grave half-gay, your repertory is quite superb.
I'd copy out, if challenged to be more specific, your vast ihdex, just about all happenings in the wide Pacific writ in your annals. May you swim 40 more years, then long live "PIM"!
Senior Commissioner for the United States on the
South Pacific Commission, Mr. Carlton Skinner:
Even the editors of "PIM" in their acerbic fashion recognise the recent great progress in the Pacific Islands region in democracy, self-government, comity and understanding between territories of different nations and between territories and independent countries. "PIM" must not be shy.
It deserves a large measure of credit for this development.
"PIM" has been the keen and critical observer who has kept the leadership in all the islands aware of what their fellow islanders and administrators were accomplishing.
"PIM" has been always sympathetic but never merciful.
It was someone else's duty to make the plans and carry them out, but it was "PlM's" duty, which it happily accepted, to shine the bright light of analytic description, publication and evaluation on the achievements and disasters of the administrators and legislators and leaders.
Subscribing since 1946, I qualify as a "faithful reader" and will remain an admirer of "PlM's" editors for their major contribution to wise development of Pacific territories and countries, responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Pacific Island people.
Governor of Fiji, Sir Robert Foster:
I have become a regular reader of "PIM" since I first arrived in the Pacific in the middle of 1964.
I enjoy "PIM"; it's well-informed and up to date. It fulfils a need in the South Pacific and I wish it well on its 40th birthday and in the years to come.
The Administrator of Papua and New Guinea
Mr. David Hay;
There is now a growing awareness among the people of the South Pacific of their regional identity. Thousands of people living in places as diverse as the Highlands of New Guinea and the tiny islands which make up the US Trust Territory of the Pacific are beginning to realise that they
have many common interests and common problems.
"PIM" during its long history has contributed towards creating this awareness. Its wide news coverage provides people with information about their region which is not available in any other popular journal.
Its editorial and feature pages provide a forum for the discussion of South Pacific problems. These are functions which will become increasingly important in the years ahead.
I hope "PIM" will grow with the South Pacific region and continue to provide a full and stimulating coverage of events and ideas. Congratulations on your 40th birthday.
Governor of American Samoa, Mr. John M. Haydon: It is a pleasure for me to extend my congratulations to PIM on the magazine's 40th anniversary. I have spent many years in the magazine publishing business and can fully appreciate the great effort it takes to produce and distribute a magazine which covers such a large area an.d such a variety of subjects as does PIM. I feel that the magazine contributes greatly to the understanding and general welfare of the people of the -South Pacific.
I wish you many more years of successful operation.
President Hammer Deßoburt, the Republic of Nauru: The people of Nauru have known "Pacific Island Monthly" for a great many years, since well before independence.
PIM was not always the friend of the Australian Administration in Nauru—l once heard a former Administrator, Colonel Chalmers, say so to "PlM's" publisher, R. W. Robson.
"PIM" reported in more detail and with more sympathy than other publications the various phases of Nauru's struggle for independence. Its editor, Stuart Inder, in particular, has shown his friendship for Nauruans.
The magazine deserves credit for its 40-year involvement in matters of real Islands interest. We Nauruans may not agree with everything. "PIM" says, but we read it with close interest. We wish it even longer life.
Chief Minister, Fiji Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara: At the age of 40, although not in the first blush of youth, Pacific Islands Monthly" is certainly not old.
Indeed its vitality and enthusiasm would do credit to many a 20-year-old. It is also to be congratulated on taking a Pacific view and supporting those who have directed their energies towards regional co operation.
PIM is part of the South Pacific. Complimentary or condemnatory, it is always lively and interesting.
I congratulate it on reaching its 40th birthday and send my best wishes for the future.
Australian Minister for External Territories, Mr. C. E. Barnes: I have been a reader of PIM for many years and welcome its informative comments on development in Papua-New Guinea and in the Pacific generally.
I believe PIM performs a valuable function in cementing relationships and community spirit between the peoples of the Pacific and I hope it will continue to be published for many years to come.