Carolines

From Japan To

New Weekly Airmail in April IT was announced during the month that the new Japanese weekly air service, from Tokio to the Japanese mandate, Marshall and Caroline Islands, will come into operation in April, 1939.

It was reported in this journal several months ago that such a service was in contemplation.

Some Australian newspapers suggested that the new air line has aggressive in tent, insomuch that its southern ter minal will be only 1,500 miles north of the Australian teritory of New Guinea.

The Japanese, however, are very rapidly colonising their mandated territory— especially the Mariana, or Ladrone, Is lands—and there are now at least 60,000 Japanese in the Marshall and Caroline Islands (this grouping includes the Mar iana Islands), as against about 50,000 natives; and they need this service for commercial purposes.

It appears that the Japanese line will run due south from Japan through the Bonin Islands, then through the thickly populated and rapidly developing Mar iana chain to Saipan; and thence it will run due west to Palau. The Jaluit or Marshall Islands end, is not in the pic ture.

New Aerodrome at Rabaul GOOD progress is being made with the construction of a new aerodrome at the golf links, on the outskirts of Rabaul, New Guinea: and it should be ready for use about the end of January.