NATIVES’ LOYALTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 17 October 1942, Page 2

NATIVES’ LOYALTY

SOUTH PACIFIC WAR ZONE GOVERNOR OF FIJI INTERVIEWED Auckland, Oct. 16. Two features which had struck him as outstanding during his observations in various parts of the South Pacific war zone since his assumption of duty as Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, were mentioned in an interview by Major-General Sir Philip Euen Mitchell, K.C.M.G., M.C., who is visiting New Zealand on a mission in conenction with offensive operations. During 1940 and 1941 Sir Philip had a very active part in the war against Italy in north-east Africa, being political adviser to Generals Wavell, Auchinleck and Platt, and British representative in Ethiopia. He was intimately associated with the final restoration of Emperor Haile Selassie. Features emphasised by Sir Philip were the intense enthusiasm for the United Nations’ cause of all setions of the population of Fiji, and the extraordinary loyalty of the natives of the Solomon Islands, who were most active in support of the United States campaign there. “There is an earnest desire among all races in Fiji to get their teeth into the war,” said Sir Philip. This, of course, was not surprising as far as the European population was concerned, but it was most encouraging to see that the whites were rivalled in enthusiasm by the Fijians, Indians, and Chinese. Already before his arrival at the end of July. Fiji had achieved a great deal. All the new measures he had initiated had been enthusiastically supported. ‘‘The people are thirsty to do everything that is asked of them,” he said. As far as the battle in the Solomons was concerned, the loyalty to the British and therefore also to the Americans of the islanders had been a prominent feature. The natives, said Sir Philip, had proved themselves implacable enemies of the Japanese, and were rendering valuable assistance against them. He quoted as an outstanding example of native heroism a case recently briefly referred to in the cable news of a retired sergeant-major of police, who re-entered the service to undertake intelligence work for the Americans on Guadalcanar. This islander was given a small American flag in order that he might be able to identify himself to American units. On one of many trips through the Japanese-held area he was taken prisoner. The Japanese tied him to a tree and commanded him to tell what he knew about the strength and disposition of the invading force. To force him to talk the Japanese bayoneted him in the shoulder, but he kept silence. He was bayoneted in the arm, the stomach, face and throat, and still not having spoken, was cast away for dead. Nevertheless he crawled to the American lines, demanded his officer, and gave Japanese positions before he was taken to hospital. Assistance such as that which was being rendered by many Solomon Islanders to the limit of their capacity was a great asset to the Allied cause, said Sir Philip.—P.A.