Trans-Pacific Liners

Canada Reluctant Plan May Now Affect Far East

IT was disclosed during the month that ‘the reluctance of Canada to contri bute to the scheme is likely to cause the abandonment of the plan under which Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand were to provide a subsidy to enable the Union S.S. Co., Ltd., to run two modern liners across the Pacific, be tween Australia and Canada, in competi tion with the Matson line. Canada now appears to be unwilling to co-operate on any terms.

The matter is to be discussed by the Australian Trade Delegation in London in May.

One very interesting suggestion that has been made, and one that may affect the whole plan, is that these fast mod ern liners (perhaps 30,000 tons, travel ling at 22 knots) may not run directly backwards and forwards between Van couver and Sydney, but may, instead, make a round trip through the Pacific, which will take in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Obviously, such a plan would have an important bearing upon British defences in the Pacific and upon British prestige; and it also would have to be worked out with, the greatest care for American in terests, both commercial and defence.

Miss Agnes Laurenson, of New Zea land, has been appointed headmistress of the Methodist Mission's new school

in Suva, Fiji.