Jottings From Rabaul

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, June 12.

SOMEBODY blamed Leap Year; others the war; others the Bachelors’

Ball; whatever the reason, Hymen has had a busy time lately. Last week saw Joe Bartlett and Miss Higgins mar ried; on Monday of this week, Syd. Ken sett and Marie Sherry followed suit; previously, over in Madang, Gwen Cun ningham and Jack Evans (he of Colyer- Watson Ltd.) had the knot tied by one of the American Lutherans there. So off goes another of Rabaul’s prettiest girls. Her sister, Jean, is to follow suit in a few weeks; but she is travelling South to become Rabaul’s first war bride.

What to Do With Germans As the situation in Europe has grown more intense, so has the local agitation for the general internment of all enemy aliens and their sympathisers grown in intensity. The Rabaul soldiers’ sub branch, ever since its re-organisation, has had that subject as one of its out standing policies, and the New Guinea State branch supported its representa tions. Names were submitted of sym pathisers; and, in some quarters, anyone appearing friendly toward old German residents is looked upon as suspect.

This is carrying the policy a bit far, for many of the real old-time Germans have nothing whatsoever in common with Nazism, nor have they sympathies in that direction. This is particularly so where it refers to many of the old-time Roman Catholic fathers, and makes one realise the truth of the saying that

every Nazi is a German, but every Ger man is not a Nazi.

One of the big dangers in this country is the half-caste element picking up propaganda from German broadcast sta tions and passing it on to the natives.

One such instance of this cropped up at Kokopo, when a half-caste plantation overseer was caught spreading Nazi propaganda, as well as being away from his residence without permission. It turned out that he was one of the Finschhafen Lutheran Mission products, and made no bones about being a Nazi.

He collected six months on one charge and a month on another. All wireless receiving and transmitting sets have been taken from enemy aliens, and aliens are only allowed to have them in their possession on permit from the

police.

Copra Hold-Up

Dire depression seized the planting community recently when circulars from one of the Big Firms intimated that unless shipping space was made avail able no more copra would be bought; also that credits were cut down to the absolute bare necessities. Commercial ruin seemed to stare the country in the face, and the question was: What could be done? The president of the Planters’

Association had died in Melbourne (Bill Grose will be a great loss to the Terri tory in many ways), the vice-president had left to do his bit with the Navy, and the situation seemed desperate.

Then a whisper came that a ship would be made available, and that future char ters would be possible. Meanwhile, the London price had dropped 16/- sterling.

So New Guinea planters are not feeling too bright.

Generous Support of War Funds Despite low copra prices and the bug bear of not having any boats to take away our produce at any moment, New Guinea has done not so badly when called upon. Recently, the Red Cross units in the Territory subscribed £350 in a day for the appeal launched by the Central Council in Melbourne for ambu lances for the British Red Cross. When the war loan was floated, it was not long before over £30,000 had been sub scribed for that, and nearly £1,500 taken up in war-savings certificates. I hear of one man who strolled into an office the other day and wrote a cheque for £lOO as a free gift to the Commonwealth for war purposes, and several chaps, who happen to be holding a few pounds, have put this in the free-of-interest loan.