ship system established in the Charter of the United Nations by means of a trusteeship agreement (hereinafter referred to as the agree ment), approved by the Security Council of the United Nations on April 2, 1947, and by the United States Government on July 18, 1947, after due constitutional process; and WHEREAS the United States of America, under the terms of the agreement, is designated as the administering authority of the trust territory and has assumed obligations for the government thereof; and WHEREAS it is necessary to establish an interim administration of the trust territory, pending the enactment of appropriate legislation by the Congress of the United States providing for the future government thereof: Now, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: 1. The military government in the former Japanese Mandated Islands is hereby terminated, and the authority and responsibility for the civil administration of the trust territory, on an interim basis, is hereby delegated to the Secretary of the Navy. 2. The Secretary of the Navy shall, subject to such policies as the President may from time to time prescribe, and, when appropriate, in collaboration with other departments or agencies of the Federal Government, carry out the obligations which the United States, as the administering authority of the trust territory, has assumed under the terms of the agreement and the Charter of the United Nations: Provided, however, that the authority granted to the United States under Article 13 of the agreement to close any areas for security reasons and to determine the extent to which Articles 87 and 88 of the Charter of the United Nations shall be applicable to such closed. areas shall be exercised jointly by the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of State: And Provided further, that all relations between departments or agencies of the Federal Government and appropriate organs of the United Nations with respect to the trust territory shall be conducted through the Secretary of State. 3. This order, subject to subsequent modification, shall be effective as of this date and shall remain effective until a designation is made of the civilian department or agency which is to have permanent responsibility for the government of the trust territory. THE WHITE HOUSE HARRY S. TRUMAN 220. ANNUAL REPORT OF UNITED STATES ON TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, FEBRUARY 18, 19491 (a) Letter of Transmittal February 18, 1949 I have the honour to inform you that the Government of the United States is transmitting under separate cover four hundred copies of a report on the first year of the administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under the Trusteeship Agreement which entered into force on July 18, 1947. 1 Department of State Bulletin of March 6, 1949, pp. 293, 294. This report on the administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands is submitted in pursuance of Article 13 of the Trusteeship Agreement which states that the provisions of Articles 87 and 88 of the Charter shall be applicable to the trust territory, provided that the Administering Authority may determine the extent of their applicability to any areas which may from time to time be specified by it as closed for security reasons. The United States Government is aware that the Security Council is at present seized of the question of the "procedure in application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Charter with regard to the Pacific Islands under strategic trusteeship of the United States", but does not consider that it is thereby relieved of an obligation to report to the United Nations on the administration of the trust territory. As a matter of convenience, the Provisional Questionnaire formulated by the Trusteeship Council has been utilized in the preparation of the report. The decision of the United States Government to prepare this report and to transmit it to the United Nations and the use of the Provisional Questionnaire in this connection are without prejudice to the question before the Security Council. WARREN R. AUSTIN (b) Summary of the Report 1 Political advancement-The Navy Department's policy with respect to self-government is stated, in part: "It is desired that the inhabitants of the island territories be granted the highest degree of self-government that they are capable of assimilating. They shall be encouraged and assisted to assume as much as possible of the management of their own affairs and the conduct of their own government on The report details the degree to which native leaders are taking part in local governmental functions and explains the steps being taken to develop administrative, educational and professional skills. states. Economic Advancement-Japanese occupation and the war years left many islands in a state of chaotic devastation. Islands untouched by hostilities found their economic life severely restricted, the report The chief agency of commercial life in the trust area is the Island Trading Company, a United States Government Corporation whose entire stock is held by the Deputy High Commissioner of the Trust Territory in his official capacity. All profits are held in trust for the benefit of the natives. The Island Trading Company carries on the trade of the area, buying the products of the region for sale to outer markets, and importing the goods needed for consumption in the islands. "During the past year the economic situation in the Trust Territory has been greatly improved by various factors, and two in particular: first, an encouraging growth of interest in economic pursuits on the part of the inhabitants; second, a very advantageous market in the United States and throughout the world for copra and trochus shells," the report says. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (OPNAV-P22-100E). Prepared by the Navy Department, July 1948. U.S. funds appropriated for the Territory for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1948, amounted to $1,123,810, apportioned $151,178 to general administration, $88,433 to legal and public safety functions, $225,432 to public education, $76,312 to commerce, industry, and agriculture, $392,751 to medical care, public health, and sanitation, and $189,704 to public works. The report states that the mineral resources of the region are sparse and that the only two mining operations are the phosphate and bauxite operations in the Palau area. Social Advancement-The report describes the hamlet-like clusters of homes and farmsteads that make up the typical communities of the islands. Population is increasing, with the birth rate nearly double the death rate. A bill of rights has been promulgated, and essential freedoms preserved. Slavery does not exist, and cruel and unusual punishments are forbidden, although crime is not a major problem. A few cases of migration of natives are reported, including the evacuation of Bikini and Eniwetok atolls to make way for scientific experimentation. Labor problems in the Western sense are unknown, the report explaining that "as of January 1, 1948, subsistence farming and fishing took up most of the islanders' time; scarcely 3,000 were gainfully employed for wages in Western-style jobs." Two thirds of these were on the administration payroll, and the others were employed in "light business enterprises." 1 In the field of public health, the incidence of yaws was reduced during the year from practically 90 percent to an estimated 5 percent, and that of intestinal parasites was cut from 20 percent to 5 percent. Substantial reductions also were achieved in the incidence of filariasis and other endemic diseases. A system of frequent inspections has helped raise standards of sanitation. Research programs in tropical medicine are in progress. There are six dispensaries on the islands each with from 50 to 75 beds, three subdispensaries with from 8 to 25 beds, and 87 subdispensaries without facilities for in-patient care. addition, for difficult cases, the 250-bed general hospital at Guam is available, seven logistic ships serve as mobile clinics, and a medical survey ship carries complete X-ray and laboratory equipment. A leper colony has been established on Tinian. In Educational Advancement-A free public-school system has been instituted with approximately 250 teachers and more than 9,000 students in 130 elementary and intermediate schools in the period MarchJuly 1948. Exclusive of cost-free items supplied to the school system, education in fiscal 1948 cost roughly $18 per capita. Adult and vocational education programs also have been undertaken. The Pacific Island Teacher Training School on Guam, offering two consecutive courses of six and nine months, is training native instructors for the school system. An important change in tariff policy with relation to the Trust Territory has taken place since the end of the one-year period covered by the report. Tariff duties in effect during that period are given in detail, being simply an extension to the Trust Territory of the import arrangements applied to Guam with respect to articles "not produced, processed or manufactured in the United States, its possessions or the Trust Territory". This action was permitted under article 8 (1) of Definite steps have been taken to examine, treat, and/or isolate as necessary tuberculin patients. This disease is one of the chief concerns of the administering authority. the trusteeship agreement. Subsequently, by order dated November 30, 1948, this tariff schedule was cancelled. Therefore, import duties on products entering the Trust Territory no longer exist. Caribbean 1 221. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMISSION 1 Agreement Between the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands, October 30, 1946 The GOVERNMENTS of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the FRENCH REPUBLIC, the KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, and the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, whose duly authorised representatives have subscribed thereto, Being desirous of encouraging and strengthening co-operation among themselves and their territories with a view toward improving the economic and social well-being of the peoples of those territories, and Being desirous of promoting scientific, technological, and economic development in the Caribbean area and facilitating the use of resources and concerted treatment of mutual problems, avoiding duplication in the work of existing research agencies, surveying needs, ascertaining what research has been done, facilitating research on a co-operative basis, and recommending further research, and Having decided to associate themselves in the work heretofore undertaken by the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission, and Having agreed that the objectives herein set forth are in accord with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations Hereby agree as follows: ARTICLE I ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMISSION AND AUXILIARY BODIES There are hereby established the Caribbean Commission (hereinafter referred to as "the Commission") and, as auxiliary bodies of the Commission, the Caribbean Research Council and the West Indian Conference (hereinafter referred to as "the Research Council" and "the Conference" respectively). 1. The Commission shall consist of not more than sixteen Commissioners appointed by the Governments signatory hereto (hereinafter referred to as the "Member Governments"). Each Member Government may appoint four Commissioners and such alternates as it may deem necessary. Each such group of Commissioners shall form a national section of the Commission. 1 Report of the Caribbean Commission to the Governments of the French Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America for the Year 1946, pp. 37-43. C H 2. Each Member Government shall designate one of its Commissioners to be the Chairman of its national section. Each such Chairman, or in his absence, the Commissioner designated by him from his national section as his alternate, shall be a Co-Chairman of the Commission and shall preside over meetings of the Commission in rotation according to English alphabetical order of the Member Governments, irrespective of where a meeting of the Commission may be held. ARTICLE III POWERS OF THE COMMISSION The Commission shall be a consultative and advisory body and shall have such legal capacity as may be necessary for the exercise | of its functions and the fulfilment of its purposes. ARTICLE IV FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION The functions of the Commission shall be as follows: (1) To concern itself with economic and social matters of common interest to the Caribbean area particularly agriculture, communications, education, fisheries, health, housing, industry, labour, social welfare and trade. (2) To study, formulate and recommend on its own initiative, or as may be proposed by any of the Member or Territorial Governments, by the Research Council or the Conference, measures, programs and policies with respect to social and economic problems designed to contribute to the well-being of the Caribbean area. It shall advise the Member and Territorial Governments on all such matters, and make recommendations for the carrying into effect of all action necessary or desirable in this connection. (3) To assist in co-ordinating local projects which have regional significance and to provide technical guidance from a wide field not otherwise available. (4) To direct and review the activities of the Research Council and to formulate its rules of procedure. (5) To provide for the convening of the sessions of the Conference, to formulate its rules of procedure, and to report to the Member Governments on Conference resolutions and recommendations. ARTICLE V MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION 1. The Commission shall hold not less than two Commission meetings each year. It is empowered to convene and hold meetings at any time and at any place it may decide. 2. At all such meetings the four Co-Chairmen, or their designated alternates, shall constitute a quorum. |