warships

Political

Currents

Are There ‘Nukes’ Aboard?

Vanuatu says ‘no’ to visit of U.S. warships

A David and Goliath-type con frontation with far-reaching im plications occurred in February when the Vanuatu Government informed the United States Government that the visit of two US warships to Port-Vila would ‘not be acceptable to Vanuatu’.

The reason; the US, in ac cordance with long-standing policy, would neither confirm nor deny whether the vessels were carrying nuclear weapons.

A statement issued by the Vanuatu Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 5 said; ‘Two United States Navy ships were supposed to be making a goodwill visit to Vanuatu tomorrow. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to announce that the proposed visit to Port-Vila of the USS Marvin Shields and the USS Robert E. Peary will not now take place. ‘Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had granted diplomatic clearance to the said United States ships, but the clearance was dependent on the absence of nuclear arms aboard these vessels. This is in conformity with the present government policy on the Pacific as a nuclear-free zone. ‘Yesterday, a statement from the American Embassy in Suva indicated that it is the policy of the Government of the United States of America neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons on American vessels. ‘However, the Vanuatu Gov ernment would find it extremely difficult to entertain such a policy, while maintaining its strong position on the nuclear free Pacific zone. ‘Therefore, the Government has informed the American authorities that the presence of their vessels here will not be acceptable to Vanuatu. ‘The Vanuatu Government has consistently supported the concept of the Pacific as a nuclear-free zone, and its views on the issue have been generally

made known in international and regional meetings, and will continue to be made known.’

Ironically enough, at the time of the Santo secession in 1980, a Vanuatu Government spokes man issued a public invitation to the US Navy to patrol the country’s waters on a regular basis. Nothing, however, came of his proposal.

The Marvin Shields and Robert E. Peary were ac companying the Seventh Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge on a voyage to Australia for a six day goodwill and rest and rec reation visit. They later took part in ‘Sea Eagle’ exercises with the Australian Navy and Air Force.

The Robert E. Peary (homeported in Pearl Harbor) and the Marvin Shields (homeported in San Diego) are fast frigates designed as modern ocean-going escorts capable of speeds of more than 27 knots, with a cruising radius of more than 6500 kilometres.

Both ships are with the US Destroyer Squadron 35, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet.

The Commander of the US Seventh Fleet, Vice-Admiral M. S. Holcomb, said in Sydney it was ‘regrettable’ for all con cerned that Shields and Peary had been unable to make their goodwill visits to Vanuatu.

Admiral Holcomb and his staff were on board Blue Ridge in Sydney.

He said that the lost oppor tunity for exchanges had been a pity for the US and Vanuatu, but each country had followed diplomatic principles laid down by government, and neither party had resorted to mere expediency in a sensitive situ ation.

Admiral Holcomb said that he and his staff appreciated the sensitivities involved, and there was no easy way to resolve them. Both countries undoubt edly shared a desire for peace, security and co-operation in the Pacific region.

Pacific council

for teachers

Teacher organisations in the South Pacific have set up a regional organisation with pro fessional and industrial aims.

The new organisation, called the Council of South Pacific Teachers Organisations, will work for the development of teaching services throughout the region and for the develop ment of professional and indus-

trial co-operation among teachers.

The idea for the new organis ation emerged from last year’s conference in Wellington, New Zealand, of the World Confed eration of Organisations of the Teaching Profession. Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Western Samoa and the Cook Islands formed a regional caucus at the confer ence and initiated moves for the new organisation. The organis ation will operate from Fiji with an office and secretary provided by the Fiji Teachers Union and the Fiji Teachers Association.

The Australian Teachers Feder ation is making a grant of $ 1000 towards the establishment costs.

The aims of the new organis ation will be to promote an exchange of information and understanding between teachers and between their or ganisations, to develop edu cation in the Pacific, to pro fessionally develop teachers, to assist the effectiveness and de velopment of teacher organis ations, to provide mutual help and support between teachers, to promote the extension of educational opportunities to all Pacific people, and to work for peace, international co operation, international under standing and human rights.

The Australian Teachers Federation is also focussing new interest on Pacific regional mat ters this year. At its conference in Western Australia in January it decided to adopt teaching in the South Pacific as the theme of its international programme for 1982. The federation will hold a forum in Brisbane in December to which it will invite representatives of all South Pacific countries which are affiliated with the World Con federation.

It will use funds from its international budget to ensure that as many Pacific Island countries as possible are rep resented at the forum. In associ

Vice-Admiral Holcomb and flagship USS Blue Ridge

ation with the Brisbane meeting the federation will conduct a training programme on union development.

The New South Wales Teachers Federation is con tributing to the new regionalism among teachers by holding a seminar on the role of women teachers in Pacific countries.

The seminar will be held in Sydney this year. It will analyse the problems of raising the status of women teachers and of expanding their role in teachers’ unions. It will pay particular attention to means of overcom ing discrimination against women teachers. Sue Green in Melbourne.

Hawaii extends

‘bridging’ role

Hawaii, uniquely placed be cause of its dual role as a state of USA and as a geographically isolated Pacific Island com munity, is expanding its exter nal relationships. It is showing stronger interest in links with USA itself, with the Island countries of the Pacific and with Asian countries on the Pacific western rim. And USA is seeing Hawaii as filling an increasingly important position as a link between its own Pacific affairs and the Pacific affairs of Asian countries on the western rim.

The bridging role of Hawaii in the Pacific is highlighted in material published by official US government information sources. Hawaii’s own popu lation puts it in a strong position to act as a regional bridge, with its racial elements stemming from Polynesia, Japan, China, the Philippines and USA. The statehood qualification with USA and the mid-Pacific geo graphical position make Hawaii a valuable launching pad for a whole range of America- Pacific-Asia interests and oper ations. USA argues that it has real membership of the Pacific community through the state hood of Hawaii, a membership argument that cannot be used by the other rim powers of Japan, China and the Soviet Union.

A central figure in the re gional bridging role which Hawaii is adopting is the Direc tor of Planning and Economic Development, Mr. Hideo Kono,

whose parents were Japanese migrants to Hawaii. He helped to develop the the East-West Center which is designed to improve understanding between US, Asia and the Pacific and he is now an adviser on Asia and Pacific relations to the Governor of Hawaii, Mr George Ariyoshi.

Mr Kono believes that Hawaii has a second sense about how to co-operate best with Asian and Pacific com munities. Hawaii understands that Asia is ‘different’, he says, with an old civilisation and a less direct manner of dealing in personal and business relations than the manner practised in USA. He believes that because of its understanding of Asia and the Pacific, Hawaii is in a strong position to contribute to the knowledge and the understand ing in USA of these regions.

Mr Kono speaks highly of the advances which Hawaii has made in education, technology and management and believes that Hawaii’s application of these advances to tourism, en ergy and aquaculture could be important contributions to Asia and the Pacific.

Hawaii has already launched a number of projects which involve stronger links between USA on the one hand and Asia and the Pacific on the other.

They include the establishment of the International Service Agency which arranges meet ings and discussions between Asian and Pacific political and business leaders. Interests in Hawaii are also sponsoring a committee on foreign languages and international relations which will promote Asian and Pacific languages in Hawaiian schools. The purpose of the move is defined as ‘teaching third generation Asian and Pacific Americans the languages of their roots, and thus providing new bridges be tween the former homelands and the modern USA’.

In economic affairs Hawaii is already well established as a middle ground in shipping and air services between Asia and the US mainland. The Aloha Tower Plaza, a trade centre now being built, will be a contact point for visiting businessmen from east and west.

Mr Kono also hopes that

Hawaii will become a telecom munications centre for satellite and cable services linking the Pacific rim countries, a situ ation which is already develop ing significantly (see Trade winds).

The Asian student com munity in Hawaii last year included groups of Chinese sponsored by travel agencies in

China to learn about airline travel and tourist management.

Hawaii is attempting to be come the first US state to be self-sufficient in energy, and has developed demonstration pro jects using energy from the sun, the wind, geothermal sources and differential ocean tempera

tures.

William Gasson in

Wellington.