section may be seized, and the court may order its confiscation and destruction." SEC. 34. Upon the 21st day of July 1950, the anniversary of the liberation of the island of Guam by the Armed Forces of the United States in World War II, the authority and powers conferred by this Act shall come into force. However, the President is authorized, for a period not to exceed one year from the date of enactment of this Act, to continue the administration of Guam in all or in some respects as provided by law, executive order, or local regulation in force on the date of enactment of this Act. The President may, in his discretion, place in operation all or some of the provisions of this Act if practicable before the expiration of the period of one year.

34 As amended by Act of August 1, 1956, 70 Stat. 910. Codified, 48 U.S.C. 1421m.

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TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

LOCATION AND STATUS

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands comprises more than 2,100 islands, lying in an expanse of Western Pacific Ocean equal in size to the Continental United States, or 3 million square miles. But these islands, of which less than 100 are inhabited, cover less than 700 square miles of land, or roughly half the size of the State of Rhode Island. The trust territory encompasses the island groups of the Marianas (except for Guam, a U.S. Territory), the Marshalls, and the Carolines. These groups comprise most of what is known as Micronesia, or the "land of small islands."

The Philippine Islands lie to the west of the trust territory, some 500 miles distant at one point. From the eastern border of the territory, Hawaii is 1800 nautical miles away.

The United States administers the Trust Territory under a 1947 trusteeship agreement with the United Nations. The area is governed by a High Commissioner appointed by the President of the United States. He is assisted by a Deputy High Commissioner and the heads of various territorial departments, all of which constitute the High Commissioner's "Cabinet."

Legislative authority resides in the Congress of Micronesia, a bicameral body consisting of a senate and a house of representatives. Its 12 senators are elected for staggered terms of 4 years, and the 21 members of the house serve 2-year terms. The lower house is apportioned in representation from the administrative districts of the trust territory-Marianas, Marshalls, Palau, Ponape, Truk, and Yap. There are two Senators from each district.

The judicial branch functions independently of the other two branches of the territorial government. The high court and the district courts function under the direction of a chief justice, who is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Associate and district judges assist in the administration of justice in the Trust Territory.

CULTURE AND HISTORY

Although with only a few exceptions the inhabitants of the Trust Territory are classified as Micronesians, they represent a variety of cultures defined largely by geographic boundaries. These peoples include: the Chamorros of the Marianas; the Yapese of Yap; the inhabitants of the Caroline low islands; the Palauans in the western Carolines; the Trukese, Ponapeans, and Kusaieans in the eastern Carolines; the Polynesians of the Kapingamarangi and Nukuroro Atolls, and the Marshalese of the Marshalls.

Generally, the Micronesians are brown-skinned, of medium stature, with black hair. Many anthropologists believe that they are Malayan in origin.

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Islands now included in the Trust Territory were first visited in the 16th century by Spanish, German, Dutch, and English explorers. In 1668, Spain began colonizing the Marianas, but two attempts in the early 1700's to establish Spanish missionaries in the western Carolines failed. Later, England and Germany also showed an interest in the Marshalls and the Carolines. In 1886, the conflicting claims of Spain and Germany over the Marshalls and the Carolines were resolved through the mediation of Pope Leo XIII, with Spain retaining title to the Carolines, and Germany gaining control of the Marshall Islands. Following the Spanish-American War, Spain sold the Carolines and Marianas (save for Guam, which it ceded to the United States) to Germany. World War I occasioned the loss of these islands by Germany to Japan, which had entered the war as an Allied power.

After the war, Japan retained the islands as a mandate of the League of Nations. Even after it withdrew from the League in 1935, Japan continued to occupy the islands. In the Second World War, the area was the scene of naval and military battles, with the names of Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Peleliu becoming familiar to the Western World. Japanese claims to the area ended with her defeat in 1945, although control of the islands had passed into the hands of the United States through military victory as early as 1944.

Until 1947, the islands were under military government administered by the U.S. Navy. On July 18, 1947, under a joint resolution of the Congress, the President approved a trusteeship agreement between the United States and the Security Council of the United Nations. Under that agreement, the United States became the administering authority for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1951, the responsibility for actual administration of the Trust Territory was transferred by Presidential order from the Navy to the Department of the Interior, where it has remained until this time.

CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY

The climate and topography of the islands vary with their geographic location. Although generally tropical and rainy, the climate produces an average temperature of 80° F. in the Marianas and an average of 86° in the Carolines and the Marshalls. The humidity in all locations is about 80 percent. Rainfall is generally heaviest over the southern half of the Trust Territory, averaging 120 to 160 inches per year; in the northern sector the rain averages 60 to 90 inches per year, with more pronounced wet and dry seasons than the south. A few islands have extremely dry weather year round.

The islands themselves may consist of low coral atolls only a few feet above sea level, or of sharp volcanic uprisings of 2,000 and 3,000 feet in elevation.

Vegetation is lush and green throughout most of the region. Flora includes coconut, breadfruit, pandanus, banana, mangrove, and citrus trees among others, with an abundance also of sugar cane, taro, and tapioca.

The waters of the area abound with a variety of fish, including bonito, tuna, barracuda, sea bass, sharks, eels, and crustaceans. The islands themselves are inhibited by several species of marine birds, bats, and lizards.

OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities for the businessman, professional, and casual visitor are almost as numerous as the islands of the Trust Territory themselves. The Trust Territory administration continues to seek means to promote development of the economy and is actively encouraging the introduction of investment capital. Investment is limited at present to citizens of the territory or citizens of the United States. Opportunities exist in a wide variety of areas, and particularly in the fields of agricultural processing, tourist-oriented services, local services, fisheries, and the construction industry.

Micronesia's educational system follows the usual elementary-secondary school pattern, but not all students are able to enter secondary schools because of the lack of buildings and classrooms. The Micronesian Community College in Ponape is a 2-year teacher-training institution, and the Micronesian Occupational Center in Palau offers training in a full range of occupations and skills vital to meeting the needs of an advancing technology and economy. The Maritime Training Center in Truk offers seamanship training for Micronesians from all districts, and there is a territorywide school of nursing in Saipan. Nearly all elementary teachers are Micronesians, but some secondary teachers are employed from the United States. A bachelor's or master's degree and some teaching experience is required. Vocational education teachers are in demand.

Tourism is growing in the Trust Territory as visitors discover the rich green tropical beauty, year-round warm climate, clear multicolored lagoons, and vistas of sand, surf, and palm trees. Regular air service from Hawaii and connecting service between the island groups provides the opportunity to enjoy the splendors of Micronesia to one and all. Hotel accommodations are available throughout the territory, but reservations should always be made well in advance.