from the islands press

From a report in the Rengel Belau, Koror, of a Senate resolution to include the teaching of Japanese in the school curriculum.

But as can be gathered from schoolteachers it seems that they are not so hot on the idea. They opine that the inclusion of Japanese in elementary schools would be too taxing and burdensome to the students as they also have to learn English and Palauan grammar.

One said that the idea would have possibilities if it were taught to high schoolers and not to the younger ones. Another pointed out that the English alphabet has only 26 letters, “just imagine imposing Japanese which has more than 1000 characters on the young minds,” he lamented.

From The Fiji Times, Suva Suva magistrate Mr Kenneth Moore said yesterday that experi enced offenders always told the court they would turn over a new leaf and could bring their religious ministers to speak on their behalf. “But, as soon as they are out they start planning their next crime and forget about their vows and promises,” said Mr Moore.

He was sentencing Pauliasi Bose and Kaliova Uluiviti after they admitted breaking into a shop and stealing items worth $2500. If a religious minister stuck with a person like Bose, the minister would probably end up in prison also, Mr Moore said.

From the American Samoa News Bulletin, Pago Pago AGANA(UPI) An inmate on Guam shot in the head and supper body during a prison shooting spree has been evacuated to Honolulu for surgery. The critically-injured inmate, 38-year-old Antonio Marquez, was to be flown to Queen’s Hospital Wednesday but an air carrier refused to board the stretcher-bound prisoner because officials did not provide a guard for the flight.

Two prisoners were killed and two critically injured in a shooting spree involving five convicted murderers and a convicted rapist in the maximum security unit of a Guam prison Tuesday. Authorities were holding two of the inmates as suspects in the shooting.

Officials said they did not know how two 25-calibre semi-automatic pistols were smuggled into the facility.

From The Cook Islands News, Rarotonga “No need to worry,” was the Police Department’s assurance to members of the public who had expressed concern at seeing armed French militia at Saturday’s Commemoration Day func tions. “It was purely a ceremonial display in keeping with normal arrangements,” said a police department official. “We were surprised to see them but we checked. We inspected their machine gun magazines to make sure the guns were not loaded.”

From an editorial in The Marshall Islands Journal, Majuro.

Plastic diapers by the thousands are washing up on the lagoon beaches stretching from new dump all the way to Laura and some Majuro residents are getting upset by the blight, feeling, perhaps justifiably, that their land is being destroyed and the natural beauty of their home island undermined by Marshallese women from outer islands who come here, have children, and then carelessly throw their disposable diapers into the lagoon . . .

The only entity at all that ever does anything about the plastic disposable diapers is this publication, the Journal, but so far the Journal has only talked, no real action.

This is now changed.

The Marshall Islands Journal will made a $5OO cash donation to the re-election campaign of the first Senator in the Nitijela to introduce and have passed legislation that either curbs, additionally taxes, or outright outlaws the importation of plastic disposable diapers into the Republic. If more than one Senator introduces the bill, then the $5OO will be divided equally between them.

From a letter by Len Tari (Malapoa College) in the Vanuatu Weekly, Vila, complaining at the casual attitude of people during the playing of the National Anthem at a flag-raising ceremony.

We all know that the National Anthem is the country’s official song which expresses patriotic sentiments and is governmentally authorised as an official national hymn: therefore we should be proud of it and show our respect for it by “standing at attention”, whenever it is played or sung, especially on important ceremonious occasions or public gatherings. The song also expresses the ideas that our country stands for, and is used to stimulate patriotism and loyalty to our country. (In such countries as Britain, you could be kicked on your bottom by others behind you if you didn’t “stand at attention” when the hymn was played). I hope also that we can all memorise our national anthem!

From a letter by the Rector of St. John’s Church, Port Moresby, in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.

Would the person who stole the 19 fold up chairs from our church in Mary Street please note that these chairs were given to our church by someone in memory of their dear mother who died in 1980.

If your own mother could know what you have done I am sure she will be as sad as the donor of these chairs.

If you have any idea of the things of God then maybe you will return them and we will all be happy again.

A letter by Jan Howard, Lautoka, in The Fiji Times, Suva.

I read with interest the article concerning what to call white Fiji citizens. I think the term “Palefaces” is too reminiscent of “cowboys and Indians”, yet I believe that a word is needed other than “expatriate” for the white people here. As you may know, we whites all belong to the Caucasian race of humans, so I suggest naming us “Corks”, as Caucasian is a bit of a tongue-twister.

From the Police Action column in the Marshall Islands Journal, Majuro. 7/25 Grand Larceny The detective division at the police station reported someone secretly opened the combination lock on the cash box in the traffic division and an excessive amount of money was stolen. Detectives have been assigned and are conducting an investigation.

From The Fiji Times, Suva.

A resident of the Labasa Old People’s Home was injured yesterday while he was grazing cattle some distance from the home compound. The resident, known only as kalika, in his late 60s, was hit on the head by a brick which was tied to a length of rope to slow down a frolicking calf. Kalika was treated in the out-patients department of Labasa Hospital for a scalp injury and sent home.

From the American Samoa News Bulletin, Pago Pago.

Commissioner of Public Safety Te’o J. Fuavai has issued the following press release: “The safety of police officers while discharging their duties as called for by the people of American Samoa has been a continuous concern of mine. On July 25, at about 9.30 p.m., Police Sergeant Veu received a broken jaw when he was hit by a rock thrown from someone in the village of Leone.

The officer was admitted to the hospital and now awaits an operation. In other incidents, Police Officer Valoia was disabled and Police Officer Fasi Ta’ase lost his life in the line of duty. There have been a number of police units damaged when, people threw rocks at officers responding to calls from those who needed assistance. I never dreamt that these types of behavior would affect the people of American Samoa.