New Britain herald., 1919-05-24
CANNIBALS STILL
 YEARN FOR FLESH
Naval Force Sent to Malekula
 Islands to QueI] Natives

Washington, D. C.-"Cannibals." recently read of a naval force sent to Malekula Island of the New Hebrides. to quel attacks of the man eaters up on white planters, T thought can n1bals had disappeared long ago
 Contrary to general belief, the can- ntbaI still is with us, says a bulletin from the National Geographic socie- ty. And cannibaNsm is practiced regularly by some tribes of the nu- merous South Sea Islands. Tn other places it is recurrent. Missionaries and agents report 1t stamped out, and they speak truly, save for occasional lapses into barbaTism of these primi- tive peoples just emerging into the kindergarten stage of their civiliza ton.
 "Of all the peoples of the vast South Pacific expanse where the white mans influence has been felt at all the Malekula islanders, perhaps. are the most murderous, treacherous and savage. Not many years ago ethnolo~ g1sts who saw some egg shaped skulls ] brought from the island held high l hopes that there, at last. might be 1 found the missing link which marked 1 the evolutionary step from monkey to 1 man.
 Investigation soon disproTed any l such theory. For the cone shaped heads of many Malekula islanders IS 8 deformity deliberately produced by ] wrapping cord about the heads of babies. If the child survives the treatment it's shaped head point 1 upward. is a Malekulan distinction ] akin to the tiny foot of a Chinese wo man.
 Another custom of Malekula 1 seems equally narrowing. If a woman disclosas q gap in the rows of her gleanfrg white teeth it means that she is married, and that the older ] women nave performed this opera tion in something of the playful spir- 1t in which rice throwing sometim es is indulged n at an American cere mony.
 "Tha male MaIekulan is a crack 1 nnarksn1an With the bow and poisoned 1 arrow. and as inveterate a clubn1an 1 IS a wealthy American bachelor In 1 many islands of the New Hebrldes 1 each village has its club house and i upon his standing among his club fel lows depends his rank in the com 1 munity.
 Moreover. there is a com bination community forum, public dance hall ] and children's playground under the | banyan tree of nearly every native ! village.
 There are many differences be- tween the Malekulan and the natives of other islands. though most of them are obviously fA1alanesian, from their thick, woolly hairscoal black skin, flat noses and heavy lips. The Maleku- lans are accorded the palm for fe- rocity and cruelty by many travellers. though they are not unique among 1 the Hebrides natives in these respects. 1 On some islands the women expect to l be buried alive with their husbands 1 bodies.
 "A redeeming feature of the Male l kulans is their scrupulous honesty. A l travellers life may not be worth 1 much if he irritates a native, but his | property is absolutely safe. Another Malekula distinction inheres in the 1 wooden ancestor images found there. These effiges display a resemblance of human beings and attest a latent ar tistic taste in their crude coloring
 Trouble in the New Hebrides. is nothing new, In 1904 an Anglo French expedition was needed to check a native uprising and nearly two decades earlier the French inter vened to suppress a vigorous out break.
 "The New Hebrides were discovered by a Portuguese sailor early in the seventeenth century, explored some what and named by Captain Cook a century and a half later, and were declared neutral by France and Great Britain in 1878. Later agreements provided joint control and administra- ton.
 "The New Hebrides lie about 1,50O 1 miles northeast of Sydney. Australia. l