Cure For The Screen-Struck

rE society of Tahiti was founded on a number of old French colonial and ancient Polynesian families.

Inter-marriage had brought to the com munity a generation of as handsome young women and men as one could find, anywhere in the world.

Then came silent film star Valentino who so closely resembled some of our handsome Euronesian young men that his appearance on the screen at our island theatres, caused a flutter.

His costumes and acting, in his several roles, stirred our young men to emula tion. For a season, doubles of Valentino stalked along the waterfront by day, and crowded assembly places at night.

While this was well under way, a cinema company descended upon Tahiti to photo graph a drama of the Cannibal Isles.

Our island people observed the drab mechanics of picture-making. They saw, in full light of day, the hideous, garish materials which are necessary to produce “glamour” on the screen. During a period

of two months they saw, at close quarters, the Hollywood actor and actress as they really are. Disillusion was complete. Our Valentinos disappeared.

Never, since that time, has Clown Wor ship cast its shadow over our islands.

There is a suggestion in this for the alienists and the Charles Martels who are trying to comprehend and to check the mania, before all beauty, good taste and sanity shall have perished from the world. —E.C.R.

Mr. Eric Wood, who until recently occu pied a post in the Tasmanian Civil Ser vice, has been accepted by the Bishop of New Guinea to serve in a lay capacity in Papua.