C.N.O. Withdraws

From Central Pacific Trade

Line Purchased By

Messageries

THE French Shipping Service, which ran between Marseilles and Noumea, via Suez, Java, Papua and New Guinea, is to be withdrawn. The Messageries service, via Panama, is to continue, however.

Efforts have been made by French shipping companies during the past two years to skim away some of the cream of the Islands trade by des patching vessels direct from France to Noumea, via the various groups. Over that period, the Messageries Mari times and the Compagnie Navale et Commerciale de l’Oceanic, under an agreement, have maintained a joint service of passenger and cargo vessels, by alternate sailings.

The Messageries steamers (Ville de Verdun, Ville de Strasburg, Andromede and Antinous) have been leaving Mar seilles every two months, and calling at Point-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Fort-de- France (Martinique, in the French West Indies; at Cristobel and Colon (Pan ama); at Papeete and Raiatea (Tahiti), Suva (Fiji), Vila (New Hebrides), and Noumea (New' Caledonia). The return journey has been by the same route.

The other company, known popularly as the C.N.O., sent its steamers, Saint Luc, Saint Eloi, Saint Roch and Saint Augustin, from France, via Suez, every alternate month. Calls were made at Port Said, Colombo, Batavia, Soura baya. Port Moresby (Papua), Salamo and Rabaul (New Guinea), Vila (New Hebrides), and Noumea, the vessels re turning over the same route.

Information has now been received in Sydney that the C.N.O. Line has been sold to Messageries, and the ser vice, via Suez, will terminate with the present trip of the Saint Luc, due to sail from Noumea this month. The purchasers intend using their newly

acquired fleet in other parts of the world, evidently satisfied that one line can adequately cope with France’s share of the Pacific Islands trade.

In Sydney shipping circles, the French service, now being withdrawn, was considered a direct challenge to Australia, calling, as it did, at New Guinea and Papua. Australia’s annual exports there are worth about a million sterling. Already a portion of Austra lia’s valuable trade with New Caledonia has been diverted to Europe by over seas interests.