(Palau District
TAP
Yap one of the "high" islands visited, was ingpected 27 January after
arrival from Koror by PBY6A, which landed in Tomil Harbor.
The inspection
party was met at the pier by a welcoming committee, including the ten elder
native chiefs of Yape
Hibiscus leis were presented by the women, who were
in American dress, after which the party passed through a flowered arch bear-
ing a "Welcome to Yap" placard.
Along the reception line, cordial hand-
shakes were given by the chiefs, who were in their native costume and wore
circlets on their heads; friendly and dignified greetings were extended by
the young men, who were in American clothes; and shy welcome was given by
the younger school girls who wore their native costumes.
The school boys,
in colorful native garb, staged a well-executed bamboo-stick "warrior"
singing dance for the party- Inspection was made of Yaptown and its en-
virons, in company with Lieutenant R. J.» Umhoefer, U-S-e Naval Reserve, who
is the Civil Administration Representative on Yape
Stops were made at the
church, school, dispensary, I-T.C. store, the CivAdRep administration building, and other CivAdRep installations.
A.
weno
Administrative programe
(a)
aye
Self-government.
Yap Island, with a population of 2,560, has ten munici-
palities, each with a chief or magistrate chosen by their
community elders from hereditary eligibles. There is in
each municipality a secretary, and a council of sub-chiefs
and village elders. Finances are recorded by the secretaries.
Each municipality has a community court, of which the magis~
trate is judge. There is an insular constabulary which was
observed to be well-trained by a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant.
A "revolution" on Yap with respect to self-government
developed in the latter part of 1948. Yap men and women who
had lived on and travelled between other islands of the
a at
bade
that they were being suppressed and held back by the elder
chiefs while all other islands in the Trust Territory were
making progressive strides. The "Young People's Party"
requested the right of assembly, which they stated had been
denied them heretofore.e This was granted by CivAdRep, and
after some fifty meetings between YPP and the ten district
chiefs, a ceremonial pact was signed by the two factions
which abolished certain taboos on education, medical, personal and administrative customs.
At the time of this inspec-
tion, a spirit of cooperation and unity appeared to exist.
(b)
\we
REPRODUCED FROM HOLDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Carolines and Marianas had convinced the young men on Yap
Health and sanitation.
(1) Medical services on Yap are supervised by a U.S. Naval
medical officer, who has his headquarters in the CivAd dispensary at Yaptown, and is assisted there by one U.S. naval
- 8&7 -
.
eee
i / “f