Islands Newspapers

Suspended

SUSPENDED for the duration are two well-known Islands weekly news papers—“Rabaul Times”, published in Rabaul for over 20 years, and “Papuan Courier”, published in Port Moresby for a much longer period.

“Rabaul Times” was owned by Mr. O. E.

Mouton, once a well-known planter and trader in New Britain, but now living in retirement in Sydney. It was managed, on Mr. Mouton’s behalf, by Mr, Jan Hoogerwerth. Its editor, Mr. Gordon Thomas, is very well known and highly esteemed. Neither Mr. Thomas nor Mr.

Hoogerwerth has been heard of since the Japanese invasion; and it is presumed that they are with the Europeans in the jungle near Rabaul. Mrs. Gordon Thomas

is now living at Taree, New South Wales.

Mr, E. A. James, the well-known editor 01 'the ’Papuan Courier”, came to Sydney when the last European civilians left Papua, and, as he had not been in good health for some time, underwent a period of convalescence. He then joined the staff of the Yorkshire Insurance Co., Sydney, and is now filling an important job.

Just before the Pacific war came, another newspaper, ‘‘Morobe News”, was established at Lae, in New Guinea, with some good plant. It, of couse, is sus pended, and the plant was badly damaged when Lae was attacked by bombers.

Rev. J. F. Goldie, veteran chairman of the Methodist Mission Society of New Zealand <BSI District), has returned to NZ from his station at Roviana, on New Georgia Island.