DEVELOPMENT OF NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 10

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW GUINEA

Missionary Gives

Views

The Australian Government was already preparing its administered territory of Papua and New Guinea for independence, and provided that nothing untoward happened to disturb the present development, a new nation should eventually evolve, Dr. Peter Calvert, a medical missionary, told “The Press” missionary.told “The Press.” "It is quite obvious that Australia has certainly stepped up her ideas on the development of the area,” he said. Asked about the feeling among European people of the territory concerning the possible advance of Indonesia into the surrounding areas, he said it was believed that difficulties over establishing a firm barrier between East and West New Guinea would constitute the greatest problem. This was because of the presence of various nomadic tribes who lived in neither one territory nor the other, said Dr. Calvert

It was difficult to predict what would occur and what sort of settlement would be possible between the Dutch. Indonesian and Australian Governments. “The Indonesians swear they are only interested in the West, but no-one knows for sure,” he said.

“Of course the great mass of the one million people, being so backward, have no conception of anything outside their immediate life. Living in entirely separate tribal groups and speaking nearly 300 languages, they live by greatly varied forms of religions and customs, and cannot be said to have any unity as nationals of one country.” he said.