New R.A. For Penrhyn Is.

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Aug. 12.

Captain R. M. L. Gladney, Com

manding Officer of the Rarotonga Maori Defence Force, has been appointed resident agent of Penrhyn Island, replacing Captain Viggo Ras mussen, who has been forced by ill health to relinquish the post.

After service in the Great War, Cap tain Gladney went to America. He left an orange plantation in California to settle in Rarotonga as a planter in 1933.

He married Miss Clara Rennie, a daughter of Captain Rennie, an old resi dent of Rarotonga; they have a son and a daughter.

Captain Gladney was given command

of the Rarotonga Defence Force on its formation at the outbreak of the present war.

Mr. and Mrs. George H. Hanson, of Namatanai, New Ireland, arrived unex pectedly in Sydney in July. They were in Europe, travelling in Germany, when war came in 1939. They made for the and, twice, were almost free, when they were turned back. Then they spent over 51 years as civilian internees in Germany. They were released by Americans in May last and, on returning to Britain, they got an immediate and direct passage to Australia. Mr. Hanson s partner, Mr. Priebe, is a resident of Dalby, Queensland. They have had no information about their Namatanai plan tation—a large and valuable one.