Cypher/Cat A
CONFIDENTIAL
IMMEDIATE WELLINGTON TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Tel. No. 62
14 February, 1967
28.
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 62 of
14 February.
Repeated for information to UNMIS New York and Personal to Governor Fiji.
From Commonwealth Secretary for P.U.3.
I think my visit to Fiji went well.
I was able to impress
upon both political parties the need to give the new
Constitution a fair trial and to develop non-racial attitudes to political questions. There was of course a good deal of anxiety about the prospects for sugar, particularly if we decide to negotiate to enter d.E.C.
2.
T
•
On the question of Fiji and the United Nations am fully satisfied that the recommendation from the Dependent Territories Division is right that we should not allow a United Nations mission to visit Fiji. There would be no way of preventing such a mission from having a gravely disruptive effect upon the local situation. I am equally satisfied that it would be undesirable for representatives of both the Alliance and Federation parties either to go to New York to appear before the Committee of 24 or to come to London for a joint meeting with the Committee and us. On the other hand I am impressed by the view put to me by Hope of our delegation to United Nations that there would be value in trying to avoid completely negative attitude on Fiji in New York. I therefore discussed with Ratu Mara possibility that he, either alone or with two or three other members of his party, might spend a few days privately in New York on some suitable pretext (e.g. en route to or from London) so that our mission could enable them to do some quiet talking outside the United Nations building
Ratu Mara was to members of other United Nations delegations. receptive of this idea. My only doubt is that he is too gentle a person to have much influence with the more fanatical delegations to United Nations.
3. I was strongly tackled in Suva on one question on which I am not briefed, viz. state of morale in the Fijian public service. There are strains between three categories of locally engaged, designated officers and technical assistance personnel who work alongside one another, often doing similar jobs on vastly differ- end scales of remuneration. Designated officers are paid below market rates because objections of local officers prevent salary increases. Designated officers in particular are much worried about their future prospects which they know are being considered
/by a
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.