DEPENDENCIES: Hope Deferred

For almost 50 years the simple, brown-skinned peoples of two early U.S. possessions in the Pacific—Guam and Samoa*—have lived in hope that some day they would be accepted in the family as U.S. citizens. The 22,000 Chamorros of Guam and 16,000 Polynesians of Samoa have been governed by men (Navy governors), not by law. Congress has never provided a constitution for either place. Classed only as "U.S. nationals," their peoples have had no inalienable Bill of Rights, no appeal to federal courts.

Guamanians complain that they are even denied the Four Freedoms which General MacArthur is bestowing upon the defeated Japanese,...