Value Of New Caledonia

AS a base for sea and air operations in time of war, the French island of New Caledonia commands serious attention, in the opinion of Mr. T. Mc- Gill. of Auckland, who spent 18 months there in his auxiliary yacht “Inyala”, in which he has made several long voyages in the South Pacific.

In addition to about 17,000 white French colonists, there were Tonkinese and Javanese labourers and a few Jap anese shopkeepers, said Mr. McGill. The harbour at Noumea, chief town and port, was landlocked, being approached from the outer reef (which encircled the island) bv two channels. Dumbea Pass and Kuafe Pass. The deep-water har bour could accommodate the whole of the British or American Navies, but navi gation of the surrounding seas was dan gerous and the reef, 40 miles long at the southern end of the mainland, was strewn with wrecks.

From the point of view of its mineral wealth. New Caledonia would be a rich prize for an invader. It contained the second largest chrome mines in the world, while nickel and iron were exten sively worked. Three Japanese iron mining concessions had been granted by the Administration and most of the ore had gone to Japan.