French Polynesian

Society

Distinguished Institution Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, May 26.

nPHE distinguished Polynesian Society of French Oceania, officially known as La Societe D'Etudes Oceaniennes, cele brated the 20th anniversary of its foun dation in March of this year.

The first meeting of the Society was held on March 22, 1917, and its organi sation was established in an official order dated March 27, 1917, promulgated by His Excellency Monsieur G. Julien, Gov ernor of French Oceania at that time.

The foundation officers were: Honorary president, His Excellency the Governor; president, Monsieur Simon (Chief of the Navigation Service at Papeete); secre tary, Monsieur Lucien Sigogne; and treasurer, Monsieur Orsman Walker.

Monsieur Julien, a distinguished sav ant who had been professor of Oriental Languages at Paris before coming as Governor to French Oceania, took great interest in the new Society. The standard of scholarship he set up and the lines of research he marked out have been those observed by the institution ever since.

A study of the early bulletins issued by the Society discloses some eminent names enrolled as honorary members and honorary corresponding members. Among them are General Lyautey (then Resident General for France in Morocco), Mon sieur Maginot (Minister of Colonies), and many others.

Several bulletins have been issued each year, in which much of value in Poly nesian research has been published.

Bulletin No. 2, issued in September, 1917, has special historical interest in that it contains a detailed account of the wreck of the German raider See Adler on the island of Mopelia on August 1, 1917; the seizure of the Tahitian schooner Lutece by the Germans as she was ap proaching the island; and the expedition from Papeete on board the Tiare Taporo (Captain Joseph Winchester) under the command of the Administrator, Monsieur Chazal, which rescued the party left stranded on the isolated atoll.

The museum, library, and administra tive offices of the Society have recently been installed in the building formerly used as the residence of the Secretary- General of the Colony. The museum pre serves a representative collection of nat ive arts and craftmanship, besides many priceless relics of the early days of the protectorate. The Society is to be con gratulated, at its 20th birthday, on Inw ing preserved from destruction and obli vion so much of the antiquities of the islands.

The present executive officers of the Polynesian Society are: President, Mon sieur *E. Ahnne; and secretary, Monsieur Y. Malarde.