Unusually, probably uniquely, Tom Russell spent over fifty continuous years in the
direct service of British dependencies, applying for the Colonial Administrative
Service in 1946 after war service as a paratrooper and eventually retiring as the UK
representative of the Cayman Islands in 2000. Unusually, too, all his service was spent
dealing with the problems of small territories in the Western Pacific and the West Indies.
His memoirs offer a vivid and well informed insight both into colonial administration in
its final phase, the last fifty years of a story that began five hundred years earlier and is
an integral part not only of the history of Britain but of many other countries throughout
the world, and into the problems of small states. The discerning reader will also quickly
realise that at every turn these memoirs reveal the commitment, the integrity, the
camaraderie, the modest expectations and the hardships which were the hallmark of
colonial service.
While many of his colleagues used the preparatory courses to an overseas career as a
pleasant interlude in which to enjoy one's self and perhaps seek a fiancee, Tom Russell
(who had found his on war service in North Africa) embarked upon a diploma in
anthropology under the renowned Raymond Firth. It proved an excellent grounding for
the Solomon Islands, his first posting. His understanding of and respect for the culture,
his empathy with the people and his linguistic skills were of immense value in sustaining
effective relations between governors and governed at all levels of his career from
District Officer to Chief Secretary. Those of us who came to the Solomons from
elsewhere, often to senior posts, could always rely upon Tom Russell to interpret issues
and save us from making fools of ourselves. He devotes a chapter to a clear exposition of
'Marching Rule', a complex and potential revolutionary movement in the postwar period
when United States occupation was fresh in memory. An understanding of 'Marching
Rule' remained vital for the administration as much as twenty or thirty years later.
The smaller Pacific dependencies were Cinderellas of empire, unlikely to engage the
attention of the Colonial Office until the bulk of empire in Africa had been dismantled.
For many years the assumption had been that they were too small ever to be viable either
politically or economically. The administration had to manage as best it could with very
limited resources. Fiji's independence in 1970, however, was the signal that the road to
independence was clear for the Solomon Islands. It was to be achieved eight years later.
There was a lot of catching up to be done. As Financial Secretary, Tom Russell fought
for aid and initiated development programmes which needed time in which to mature
and produce long term benefits. As Chief Secretary he encouraged and oversaw
constitutional progress in an endeavour to establish effective local responsibility and
accountability. But there was never enough time and in Tom Russell's view
independence came too soon, long before the Solomon Islands was in any way a nation.
Expectations were too high and Russell usefully provides an analysis of post
independence decisions, such as the devolution of power from a strong central authority,
which ultimately led to the collapse of law and order in recent years. The Solomon
Islands now classifies as a failed state and Russell makes the fair point that past
administrators cannot shelter behind the fact that it was well administered while they
held the reins of power; they must acknowledge some of the blame.
Could Britain have insisted in the seventies on a longer period of tutelage and retained
the confidence of Solomon Islanders and their political representatives? At the time,
good government seemed no substitute for self-government despite the Solomon Islands
being poor, grant-aided, its people lacking in education and many of the skills required
of a modern state, and inexperienced in government. Independence was what the world
expected. By comparison, the Cayman Islands, where Tom Russell went as Governor on
well-deserved promotion, is rich, self-sufficient, its people well educated, possessing
many of the required skills and accustomed to their own legislature since 1832. Despite
international pressure, the Cayman Islands has never sought independence. It now enjoys
the new status of Overseas Territory, a development for the remaining dependencies in
which Tom Russell played a major role. It is paradoxical that the better prepared, more
capable and ready for independence of the two colonies in which he served has declined
to seek it. Part of the reason can, perhaps, be found in the initial structure of the
population, the early access to education and the opportunity to reach the highest levels
of public service, all helping to provide the confidence to be different and the realisation
that for a small island state the international stage can be daunting. Had the Solomon
Islands enjoyed similar opportunities, perhaps Solomon Islanders would have been as
cautious about independence as Caymanians. Tom Russell is not, however, sanguine
about the future for the Caymans. Fifty years of experience, fighting the cause of the
people he administered, alerts him to the inevitability of a clash of interests and to the
ease with which misunderstandings can arise. He warns of the potential difficulties that
lie ahead in maintaining the trust essential to the success of the new partnership.
The Overseas Service is no more. Relations with the overseas territories will be very
different to the inter-state relations usually handled by diplomats. Those who find
themselves responsible for the Caymans and its sister territories will find Tom Russell's
book a very useful reminder of what those differences are for many years to come.
|