Pacific Islanders Proud Of Britain

Chronicle (Levin), 10 August 1949, Page 6

Pacific Islanders Proud Of Britain

AUCKLAND,' August 8. Remote ocean atolls primitively populated but intensely proud of their loyalty to Britain, were among the 11 ; islands visited by the frigate Taupo in , an 8000-mile crnise of the Pacific. The : ship 's return to Auckland ended ten ; weeks of infinitely .varied serviee. It ; ranged from presenting wide-eyed , natives with their first films and fire- ; works displays to taekling hydrograp- ; hic surveys, providing medical aid to • islanders, repairing lonely radio instal- : lations and taking a census of Pacific - commnnities. Nothing impressed the Ship's company more than- the signs of the simple and still-Victorian loyalty which they saw on isolated and rarely-visited islands. Dozens of native huts on palm-fringed • atolls along the equator, were adorned with tattered but still prized photographs of the Royal Family. Faded Union Jacks, not always the right way up, flew bravely from poles and palms. Hundreds of questions were asked about the King and Queen and gifts of the New Zealand Ensign to each community drew more gratitude than parcels of sweets and food. The simplieity of island life was well illustrated at Nui, a reef-encireled island in the Elliee Group a few miles south of the equator. The atoll's best orators welcomed the ship. Loyalty was extolled and a mountain of, fruit and hai\dierafts was offered,as a gift to the sailors. Tllen an elder presented the island 's one plea: "A few of us old ones have seen a movie but none of the young people or children has any idea of the'delights of the screen, " he said. , "How sad it would be if they were to grow up — perhaps even die — without having seen a movie and so be unable to pass on the story to their children." That night 150 people from the iittle community got their movies. A fireworks displav and some gun fire were added for extra measure. I At Tarawa, scene of • some of the Pacific war, the Taupo carried out a survey of ehannels and anchorages in the maze of coi'al reefs. Half-way between Fiji and Ocean Island a search was also made i'or patches of submerged land which had been reported by passing ships. Evidence was obtained of a ehain of shallows with a least depth of 15 fathoms. .