Shipping Line For French Colonies

French Colonies

Important Project Under

Discussion

PLANS are being made for the organi sation of a line of steamers to serve the Free French Colonies in the Pacific, running between Australia and North America, and calling at New Cale donia, New Hebrides and Tahiti.

The “Bulletin du Commerce”, Noumea, said, at the end of December, that Governor Sautot had been informed by General de Gaulle “that an English com pany will shortly commence a monthly shipping service between Australia, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Tahiti and USA. Three vessels will be employed on this line. There is also word of another vessel for the Free French Colonies in the Pacific. There will be thus four ships to serve New Caledonia and the other French possessions in the Pacific. ' A representative of a Sydney shipping board is expected in Noumea to organise the employment of vessels and to establish their definite itinerary.”

This report was referred, on January 24, to Sir Thomas Gordon, head of the Australian Shipping Board, which repre sents the British Ministry of Shipping.

He said that the matter of providing the French Colonies with a shipping line had been under consideration, and the Aus tralian Board had offered to send a representative to Noumea. But that was all finished with now. The matter was now in the hands of General de Gaulle.

M. Brenac (his representative in Sydnev), the British Minister of Shipping, and the Governors of the French Colonies.

On January 27. M. Brenac announced that he had registered Agence Maritime France Libre Pty. Ltd., with a nominal capital of £5,000. to act as agent for any vessel or vessels which Britain might place at the service of the Free French Colonies.

Patrol Officer G. Greathead, who has been doing good work in the untamed Ramu-Mt. Hagen section of New Guinea for about two years, is due in Australia on well-earned furlough, in February.

Hon. H. Leonard Murray, Administrator of Papua, after being present at the Pacific Copra Conference, and attending to a good deal of departmental business in Canberra and Melbourne, left Sydney for Port Moresby on January 23.