Islands

Drought In Many

REPORTS from all parts of the Pacific indicate that many of the Islands have suffered from a very serious drought, which is still unbroken in many places. The reports come from New Guinea, in the west, right across to the distant islands of French Oceania, in the east.

There has been great dryness in some of the islands of Central Polynesia, and a grave shortage of water has been re ported from Nauru and from points in the Gilbert Islands. Reports from the Marquesas Islands, over in French Oceania, indicate the worst drought on record, and the position there is still very serious.

Reports from points on the mainland of New Guinea say that the rainfall has been considerably below the average and, now that the dry season has come, drinking water is likely to become scarce.