The Editor's Mailbag

Sorry, Mr

Matas-Kele

We act for Kalkot Matas-kele, who has instructed us to write to you to request that an apology be printed as soon as practicable in your maga zine in respect of certain errors which appear in the article headed “Fiery rumours, and facts, in Vila”, on page 5 of the February issue.

These errors are: (a) That Mr Matas-kele “grabbed a picture of the Queen which was hanging in the club and, in the words of a club member, wrapped it around the superintendent’s neck”. This did not in fact occur. At the hearing of charges against Mr Matas-kele in the Native Court arising from the in cident (at which our Mr Hudson represented him and his companion), it was established that the other New Hebridean with him was the person who took hold of the picture, and that the superintendent did in fact ward off the blow aimed at him with the picture. (b) That Mr Matas-kele “was sent to prison for two weeks”.

Actually, the Magistrate sentenced him and his companion to two weeks in prison each on charges of obstruct ing the New Hebridean policemen in execution of their duty. However, when the sentences came before the Resident Commissioners for review, they decided to suspend both of them provided that the defendants be not convicted of any other offence during a year after these convictions.

These errors of fact are de famatory, but our client will be satis fied if you redress the matter by in serting an apology among the pages of your magazine carrying major articles about the New Hebrides, in approximately the following form: Apology. We apologise to Kalkot Matas-kele for some errors of fact which we published in our February issue, under the heading “Fiery rumours, and facts, in Vila”.

Firstly, we want to correct the statement that he wrapped a picture of the Queen around the neck of a police superintendent. In fact, Mr Matas-kele did not touch the picture, nor was it wrapped around the superintendent’s neck.

Secondly, Mr Matas-kele was not sent to prison, as his sentence was

suspended by the Resident Com missioners on their review of the matter.

We offer our apologies and those of our local correspondent for any embarrassment caused. It seems that our article contained even more rumours than we thought!

The apology should be outlined in black, as was the article com plained of.

Hudson & Co.

(Barristers & Solicitors) Vila, New Hebrides. • PIM happily gives the main letter in its widely-read Letters pages to set the record straight on the in cident involving Mr Kalkot Matas kele, to whom we apologise.

Understanding

Polynesians

I refer to an article “When a Polynesian goes Deadpan” from a Wellington correspondent (PIM, March, p 31).

What a shame! And I presuming this can be a spark to “racism”, “Understanding Polynesians” a booklet by Mrs Lee may be a good counsellor on deadpans but why pick on Polynesians?

Is this the only race in the whole wide earth that can be exploited and classified as lowgrade deadpans?

Why not Europeans? Why not Indians? Why not any other races you can think of.

Mrs Margaret Lee and her book let has put a diagnosis of a perfectly healthy Polynesian as a state known as Musu which is also known further as sheer fright or some sort of nervousness which may be true and which may became an epidemic in Polynesia, but she fails to give it specific radical treatment.

Instead, she jumps from her diag nosis to preventive measures leaving sufferers of Musu to suffer and con centrates on giving antibodies to non musu sufferers, Europeans and other races, to prevent them catching deadly reactions from musu-sufferers, the Polynesians.

It would be more sensible if musu sufferers could be given curative treatment first and get them better.

At the same time, give preventive measures especially to ex-sufferers of musu (if they ever get cured), then to the non-sufferers.

In that case probably nobody from any race will suffer from musu.

From a medical point of view that’s how a confirmed disease has to be faced—diagnosis—treatment— prevention.

Interruption to this chain nearly always gives unsatisfactory results.

But in this case, it’s not a human blood and bone disease. I see it as some sort of newly-emerged in curable “racial disease” and un fortunately said to affect specifically the Polynesians.

I am wondering if what you call musu has any effect on any other race? If other races came into con tact with Polynesians? Or, do other races have strong resistance or strong immunity against becoming musu sufferers? Or, is it just because other races of the world are musu-proof human beings? Then what sort of blood docs the Polynesian have?

If you think musu is common in some Polynesian islands as you stated, Samoans and Niueans and relatively common among Cook islanders and New Zealand Maoris, why not put your fullstop there, instead of involving “all” Polynesian communities and island in your “musu fishing net” by blanket use of the word ‘Polynesians’?

Bear in mind that not all Poly nesians will be musu victims and “not all” of other races will be musu proof beings.

I’m not commenting on the subject as a Polynesian of course, or on the other side of an argument, and I don’t really care if the Polynesian adviser to the New Zealand Voca tional Training Council and author of the booklet Understanding Poly nesians, Mrs Margaret Lee, and co author, the Secretary for Maori and Island Affairs in New Zealand Mr J. M. McEwen, and senior lecturer in sociology at Auckland University Mr C. Macpherson are themselves Polynesians or not, but I am merely commenting as a neutralist.

Understanding Polynesians had some portions of it printed in PlM’s article commenting on positions occupied by Polynesian workers which sounds very much lowgrading.

Something one doesn’t want to hear about oneself.

Imagine if someone was low grading you, unaware you were there hearing him talking. What would be your reaction? Recommend him to a higher position on top of the world? Maybe you will, but one will react in opposition never with a compassionate smile but with a boiling hate. What you should do is keep your comments about others to yourself.

I regard the booklet Understand ing Polynesians as a shield for Europeans against Polynesians and the designer of the book as a good discriminative reporter.

It would be fair enough if Under standing Polynesians was re-named Understanding Human Beings. If that’s so, then the Wellington corres pondent will entitle his article “When a Human Being goes deadpan”.

That involves all the human race, but don’t do open reports on others specifically as it is bad-mannered.

What you should do to correct someone you think is wrong, hand

cup your mouth against his ears and say in a whisper, “Sir, thats not how”, and not in front of so many ears. In that case he’ll give you a good response to any corrective ad vice he receives from you. But if you do it openly in front of others, he’ll be mad.

Remember, you’ve got to make sure you’re absolutely straight forward before trying to straighten others.

Joseph Tema.

Honiara, BSIP.

Danger Underground

Underground testing does not re move the problem of radioactive pollution; it merely diverts it. A hole will be drilled thousands of feet down through the dead coral base of the atoll to a basalt rock mountain below.

For each test a new drill hole is re quired, the nuclear device being lowered to the bottom.

The intense heat from the ex plosion melts the surrounding basalt rock. As it cools, it hardens, sup posedly trapping radioactivity. Un fortunately, the experience with most underground American tests has been that cracks in the rock shell allow the escape of radioactive bases to the surface, a process called “venting”.

At Fagataufa and Mururoa in French Polynesia we expect radio activity to be released at various times from the submerged sides of the bases of these atolls. Near to the surface such radioactivity will be carried westward by ocean currents towards Fiji.

The greater risk to South Pacific people, however, lies in eating migra tory ocean fish like tuna, some of which are likely to feed on small fish which have become radioactive in the vicinity of the test sites.

During American nuclear tests at Bikini in the Marshall Islands, Japanese tuna boats began to discover radioactive tuna in their catches. The Japanese Government set up an agency to check every tuna fish landed in Japan. Many had to be rejected for human consumption be cause of the high radioactivity levels.

Some of the rejected fish had been caught in South Pacific waters well south of Fiji.

Tuna fishing companies operating in Fiji, Samoa and the Solomons should arrange for monitoring of their catches during and after the series of underground tests about to be initiated.

Dr Graham Baines

(Technical Adviser) ATOM Committee, Suva.

Irian Java

Congratulations for the article (PIM, Jan p 25) entitled: “Irian Jaya a forthcoming bonanza—but who for?” In the name of Irian Jaya nationalists we wish to express our appreciations for your courteous assistance and willingness in publish ing this article.

Seeing and experiencing Indo nesian colonial activities in Irian Jaya, we do open our hearts and say: “We have been sold out to today’s world colonialism, practised by Indonesian military regime”. We do believe that nobody will stand behind this regime and that colonial ism will no longer take place in Irian Jaya.

We also appreciate Mr Paul Gro cott, Lecturer in Political Studies University of Papua New Guinea for his congratulations in PIM (Feb, p 71).

We will be looking forward to further information in the PIM and hope that you will pay more atten tion to our threatening voice from Irian Jaya.

B. K. Pasificus.

East West Center, Box 2033, Honolulu.

Png Films Wanted

When Papua New Guinea gains ts Independence later this year, the Film Library of the Office of In 'ormation will become the National Film Library of Papua New Guinea.

The library’s collection of archival ilm is disappointingly small, and we vould appreciate your assistance in lelping us contact all residents, past )r present, who might hold film vhich would be of value in building ip a pictorial history of our young lation.

Any movie film despite its quality night help build up the overall pic ure of Papua New Guinea’s develop aent through various administrations wer past years.

If owners of such films wish to etain them, they could assist us reatly by allowing the Film Library a borrow and copy their material.

Jtmost care would be taken to pre erve and protect any film lent to le library.

B. K. Amini.

)ffice of Information, lonedobu, PNG.