United Nations Visiting Mission to the Trust Territories of Nauru, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, 1959 REPORT on the TRUST TERRITORY
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
T/1484 UNITED NATIONS United Nations Visiting Mission to the Trust Territories of Nauru, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, 1959 REPORT ON THE TRUST TERRITORY. OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS TOGETHER WITH THE RELEVANT RESOLUTION OF THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS: TWENTY-FOURTH SESSION (2 JUNE - 6 AUGUST 1959) SUPPLEMENT No. 3 NEW YORK UNITED NATIONS United Nations Visiting Mission to the Trust Territories of Nauru, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, 1959 REPORT ON THE TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS TOGETHER WITH THE RELEVANT RESOLUTION OF THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS: TWENTY-FOURTH SESSION (2 JUNE - 6 AUGUST 1959) SUPPLEMENT No. 3 NEW YORK, 1959 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. T/1484 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page REPORT ON THE TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS SUBMITTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS VISITING MISSION TO THE TRUST TERRITORIES OF NAuRu, NEw GuiNEA AND THE PAciFic IsLANDS, 1959 (T/1447) Letter dated 8 May 1959 from the Chairman of the Visiting Mission to the Secretary-General .......................................... 1 Introduction Terms of reference ............................................. 1-3 1 Itinerary of the Visiting Mission ................................. 4-6 1 Chapter I. General General considerations ........................................... 7-13 2 Areas affected by recent typhoons ................................. 14-27 3 Displacement of islanders as a result of nuclear and thermo-nuclear experiments .................................................. 28-42 5 Chapter 1!. Political advancement Development towards self-government ............................. 43-58 7 Administration of the Territory .................................. 59-65 11 Civil Service ................................................... 66-68 12 Chapter Ill. Economic advancement General ........................................................ 69-75 13 The copra industry ; the Copra Stabilization Board and Fund ; copra production ................................................... 76-83 14 Land .......................................................... 84-99 16 Agriculture ..................................................... 100-106 17 Fisheries and home industries ..................................... 107-116 18 Transportation and communications ................................ 117-130 20 Trade .......................................................... 131-142 22 Japanese postal savings and bonds; war damage claims ............... 143-144 24 Chapter IV. Social advancement Medical and health services ....................................... 145-157 24 Entry of Japanese nationals 158-159 27 Chapter V. Educational advancement General ........................................................ 160-177 27 Dissemination of information on the United Nations ................. 178 31 Annexes I. Summary of the four-year survey concerning the condition of the Rongelap people conducted by the Medical and Scientific Team of the United States Atomic Energy Commission . 31 II. Charter of the Yap Islands Congress . 32 III. Charter of the Dublon Municipality . 34 IV. Written communications received by the Visiting Mission during its visit to the Trust Territory . 36 V. Itinerary of the Mission . 38 VI. Map . • . 40 RESOLUTION 1952 (XXIV) ADOPTED BY THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL ON 28 JuLY 1959 41 111 REPORT ON THE TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS SUBMITTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS VISITING MISSION TO THE TRUST TERRITORIES OF NAURU, NEW GUINEA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, 1959 (T/1447) LETTER DATED 8 MAY 1959 FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE VISITING MISSION TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL I have the honour to transmit to you herewith, in accordance with Trusteeship Council resolution 1923 (S-VIII) of 17 October 1958 and with rule 99 of the rules of procedure of the Trusteeship Council, the report of the United Nations Visiting Mission to the Trust Territories of Nauru, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, 1959, on the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. I am glad to inform you that this report is subscribed to unanimously by all four members of the Visiting Mission. I should be grateful if you would allow an interval of one week to elapse between the transmission of this report to the members of the Trusteeship Council and its general release. (Signed) Chiping H. C. KIANG INTRODUCTION TERMS OF REFERENCE concerned, in petitions received by the Co~ncil rel~tir:g to the Territories, in the reports of the prev10us penod1c 1. The decision to dispatch a visiting mission to the visiting missions to the Territories and in the observa- three Trust Territories of Nauru, New Guinea and the tions of the Administering Authorities on those reports ; Pacific Islands in 1959 was made by the Trusteeship Council at its 933rd meeting, on 29 July 1958, during (c) To receive petitions, without prejudice to its its twenty-second session. acting in accordance with the rules of procedure of ~he Council, and to investigate on the spot, after consultation 2. The composition of the Mission, approved by the with the local representative of the Administering Au- Council at its 938th meeting on 17 October 1958, dur- thority concerned, such of the petitions received as, in ing its eighth special session, was as follows: its opinion, warranted special investigation; Mr. Chiping H. C. Kiang (China), Chairman; (d) To submit to the Council as soon as practicable Mr. Alfred Claeys Bouuaert (Belgium); a report on each of the Territories visited containing U Tin Maung (Burma); its findings with such observations, conclusions and recommendations as it might wish to make. Mr. Sergio Kociancich (Italy). 3. At the same session, at its 939th meeting, on 17 Oc- ITINERARY OF THE VISITING MISSION tober 1958 the Council adopted resolution 1923(S-VIII) setting fo;th the terms of reference of the Mission. By 4. The Mission set out from New York on 4 February that resolution, the Council, having decided that the 1959, accompanied by a secretariat of four persons.~ It Mission should depart in February 1959, that it should arrived by air on 6 February at Honolulu wher~ dunng visit the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, Nauru the two days of its stay, it paid a courtesy ca!l on the and New Guinea in that order and that the duration of Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pac1fic Fleet its visit should be approximately three months, directed and visited the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, a centre the Mission : for studies and research on the islands in the Pacific. It also met with members of the Advisory Committee (a) To investigate and report as fully as possible on on the Hawaii Training Programme for Micronesian the steps taken in the above-mentioned Trust Territories Students in Hawaii and, later, with Micronesian stu- towards the realization of the objectives set forth in dents studying at the University of Hawaii under fel- Article 76 b of the Charter of the United Nations, lowships granted by the United Nations Technical taking into account the terms of General Assembly Assistance Administration and with other students at- resolution 321 (IV) of 15 November 1949 and other tending various educational institutions under scholar- relevant Assembly resolutions; ships granted by the Trust Territory government and (b) To give attention, as might be appropriate in the private organizations. light of discussions in the Trusteeship Council and in 1 the General Assembly and of resolutions adopted by The members of the secretariat were Mr. W. F. Cottrell (Principal Secretar~), Mr. W. T. M·ashler and ~r ..J. L: Lewis them, to issues raised in connexion with the annual (Assistant Secretanes) and Mr. A. Katz (Admmtstrattve Of- reports on the administration of the Trust Territories ficer). 1 5. After a brief visit to Guam, where it made final eral trips to outlying islands including Imrodj on J aluit arrangements for its visit to the various Districts of Atoll and visited Rongelap in the northern Marshalls. the Territory and held a number of meetings with the The Mission left the Trust Territory on 10 March to High Commissioner as well as with other officials of visit the Trust Territory of N auru. It returned to Truk the Trust Territory, the Mission spent the period from on 14 March, where, on the following day, it held final 13 to 17 February in the Palau District where it discussions with the High Commissioner of the Trust visited the islands of Koror and Peleliu. The Mission Territory. On 16 March, the Mission departed from then went to the Yap District from 17 to 19 February, Truk and subsequently visited the Trust Territory where on 17 February, on behalf of the High Commis- of New Guinea before returning to United Nations sioner of the Trust Territory, the Chairman of the Headquarters on 25 April 1959. The present report was Mission presented the Yap Islands Congress with its adopted unanimously on 8 May 1959. Charter (see annex II). The Mission returned to 6. Throughout its travels in the Trust Territory, the Guam on 19 February, and visited Saipan, Tinian and Mission was accompanied by Mr. John E. de Young, Rota on 21 and 22 February. Following a one-day stay Staff Anthropologist of the High Commissioner's Head- on Guam, during which the Mission held a private meet- quarters at Guam, except for its visit to the Saipan ing, it departed on 23 February for the Truk District. district where Rear-Admiral W. L. Erdman,