Agreement

near' on Marianas

rom a Saipan correspondent

Members of the Marianas Political itatus Commission and the United ►tates team headed by President Dixon’s personal ambassador -ranklyn Hadyn Williams will begin he next round of talks on the Marianas' future on December 6 on Jaipan.

The communique issued in late )ctober after Senator Edward ’angelinan, chairman of the Marianas lommission, and Ambassador Wil iams had met in San Francisco, said he formal talks in December would >e “looking towards a political union >f the northern Marianas with the Jnited States”.

Judging by the communique’s tone, he two sides have come close to roning out difficulties over land natters including the virtual take >ver of Tinian by the United States nilitary, who are looking for bases hould they lose some in the rest of riicronesia, the “future disposition of jublic land now held in trust for the >eople of Micronesia,” and future inancial relationships.

The talks are expected to work owards a system of self-government receded by a Marianas constitutional invention. Both Senator Pangelinan md Ambassador Williams were con ident that further progress will be nade at the talks for a “mutually icceptable agreement” which will need he sanction of the United States Longress and the Marianas people vho will hold a plebiscite.

Nothing has been said for some ime about the Congress of Micro icsia’s views of the talks which, if iuccessful, will end in the separation )f the Marianas from the rest of Vlicronesia. It is expected, however, hat, if and when the talks end in a :loser union between the Marianas md the United States, the reaction }f Congress will be hostile. Senator Lazarus Salii, chairman of the Joint Committee on Future Status, has already protested that separate talks Dffend against the spirit and the letter jf the trusteeship articles.

Meanwhile, there is more dithering aver the date for the resumption of the status talks between the United States and the Joint Committee. After marking time for several months,

Ambassador Williams and Senator Salii announced November 10 as the resumption date. (PIM, Nov p 112).

At October's end they announced a three-day postponement, till Nov ember 13 in Washington (DC), to give members of the Joint Committee additional time for consultation among themselves and with their legal consultants”.

Several days after the announce ment of the postponement came a statement from Senator Salii that he had invited a delegation of four Palauan leaders to the talks.

Palauan agitation for the return of their land has been one of the obstacles to a renewal of the talks and looks like continuing as an obstacle. The Palauans said that unless the United States made its position on public lands clear and the Palauans accepted the Americans’ offer they could not agree to move ahead to the next round of talks.

The three days postponement could have been called to give the Ameri cans a chance to satisfy the Palauans about the future of their land.

Senator Salii said it was essential that the Palauans be in Washington for the talks so that the members of the status commission could consult them, as the commission was basing its stand on the land situation.

Some observers think, however, that the main purpose of their pre sence will be to act as a pressure group. Senator Salii gave added weight to this when he said: “If the conditions are not acceptable to the people of Palau, we will have to make a judgment and weigh seriously the opinions of the leaders of Palau.”

In the four-man Palauan contin gent, whose expenses are being met by the Palauan District Legislature, are the president, Itelbang Luii, and traditional high chiefs Rekaat and Ibedual.