MISSIONARY IN PAPUA

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25389, 12 January 1948, Page 8

MISSIONARY IN PAPUA

VISIT FROM CANON BENSON PRISONER OF JAPANESE AT RABAUL A short visit to Christchurch is being made by Canon James Benson, who since 1919 has been a Church of England missionary in Papua, New Guinea. Canon Benson is on his way to attend the Lambeth Conference in Great Britain and has taken the opportunity, while passing through New Zealand, of renewing acquaintance with the Rev. K. D. Andrews-Baxter St. Michael’s, Christchurch. Thirtyfour years ago Canon Eenson and Mr Andrews-Baxter left Great Britain together to work with the Bush Brotherhood in New South Wales.

During the war Canon Benson was taken prisoner by the Japanese and was the only one of nine missionaries in a comparatively small area to return alive Nearly all his time as prisoner was spent in Rabaul and at one time his weight was down to eight stone.

In spite of the influence of the war, native life in Papua was still very primitive, said Canon Benson in an interview last evening. While he was a prisoner he was concerned about how the occupation was affecting the native Christians and it was a great inspiration to him when he returned to find the natives rebuilding the churches and schools. Since the war the natives had rebuilt onfe church, three schools, the. mission hospital, and six teachers’ houses.

All men over 60 in Papua had been cannibals, continued Canon Benson. The transformation in the natives today was striking and many of them had reached a high standard of Christian living. The natives had given up cannibalism because of the influence of the missionaries.

One important development recently among the natives had been the establishing of co-operative villages because of the natives’ desire to improve their gardening and farming methods, said Canon Benson. Many of the natives who had been iq the forces returned with plenty of money, and he was pleased to see them putting their money into these co-operative schemes. The Government was helping the movement, but the main difficulty was the lack of shipping to import more up-to-date* tools and equipment.

Although there had been complaints that island natives had learnt to drink and gamble to excess while in the forces, he had not seen anything of it among his own natives. There was no sign of drinking among them since their return and no evidence of an increase in gambling. Canon Eenson expects to be away from Papua for about 12 months. He is visiting Great Britain for the first time for 20 years.