Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-12-28
Pacific Headaches
Islands Held in Trust by United States
Raise Complex Administrative Problems
By 6. n. lrvinq

!. irving
took over most of the others under
League of Nations mandate" after
World War I.
That mandate" is now trust"
under which the United States has
become caretaker for the islands
and its population on behalf Of the
United Nations.
MiIitoy Boses OK.
Since the trusteeship is Strategic"
the United States has the right to
maintain military reservations in
the district to help preserve world
peace. The military problems of the
islands are matters for the Penta-
gon. But the lives and destinies Of
the people today are strictly a civil
problem.
Under the late Harold Ickes, the
Interior Department fought a long.
hard and victorious battle to wrest
control of the islands from the Navy.
According to the "Old Curmudgeon,"
the Nays rule over the hapless
islanders was "grotesque, inefficient.
tyrannical, arbitrary and dictato-
rial"
President Truman apparently
agreed. He gave the islands to In
terror. The first reversal to military
rule came in the case of Saipan and
Tinian, which have obvious military
advantages.
No one will comment on the rea-
sons for the change. except to indi-
cate that it has to do with military
security"
Interiors Two Years
Meanwhile, the Interior Depart
ment has had almost two years to
practice the precepts that Ickes used
to preach where most islanders Of
the Trust Territory are concerned.
The goals of truSteeShip have been
quite well defined by now.
Commissioner Thomas said the
first obligation of trusteeship is to
promote the welfare of the $4,000
natives under civilian control. 1t is
seeking to achieve this by improving
the general health, educational and
economic standards" of the Micro
nesian natives on the islands.
The big goal, admittedly distant
one, is democratic self-government.
Yet elf-government is not easily
achieved on the complex scale neces-
sary in today'S increasingly involved
and difficult world, especially to island
peoples who have been under series
Of foreign flags for some 400 years.
Heretofore, other governments have
either exploited the natives or ignored
them.
Thomos' Proerom
Commissioner Thomas described
the programs of his administration
as:
I'VE are trying to train native
teachers, sanitary practitioners and
medical and dental assistants. At
the same time, we are attempting
to set up community courts to handle
the slowly increasing problems of the
islands. We have established num-
Der OF educational associations and.
where possible, created interisland
community organizations"
The Interior Department is en-
couraging the natives to open and
operate their own small stores. The
natives never before operated any
commercial ventureS-a fact which
obviously complicated matters.
There is no doubt it will be long
time before a self-governing COM
munity of the southwestern Pacific
will be achieved. since the problems
not only are ones universal to under
developed regions, but complicated by
great distances, varying cultures.
languages and religions.
Soipons Coins
Saipan, which the Navy gets next
week, has scored considerable gains
under Interior. 1t has become one
of the most productive of the Trust
Territory islands, growing sugar, rice,
fruits, vegetables and the inevitable
copra. Livestock and domestic fowls
have been introduced to the island,
which also has several small native
operated businesses such as a saw
mill, shoemakers, blacksmith and
machine shop. Rice. brought to the
islands by the Japanese, has been
encouraged throughout the territory.
Through education and community
effort" Commissioner Thomas said,
1--WE have come to see that our major
goals eventually will be reached"
And despite the fact that trustee
ships cost money, induce headaches
and sometimes blow up into interna-
tional problems-it is apparent that
the United States cannot, and has
no current intention of, withdrawing
from the Pacific.