Mr. Ridgway Appointed

Administrator Territory of Nauru

Canberra, Nov. 17.

IT was announced to-day that, by arrangement with the military authorities, Civil Administration was re-established in the Mandated Terri tory of Nauru on November 1, 1945. Mr.

M. Ridgway, former Accountant and Col lector of Customs of the Nauru Adminis tration, who accompanied the military re-occupation force to the island, has been appointed Administrator. However, as very considerable damage has been caused to all buildings and equipment, it will be some considerable time before it will be possible to re-institute fully all the facilities of the former Civil Adminis tration.

Nauru is a rich phosphatic island in the Central Pacific with an area of approximately eight square miles. A former German possession, it has been a British Mandate since 1920, and by agree ment between the Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zea land, the island has since been adminis tered by Australia.

An evacuation of the non-native popu lation of the island was organised early in 1942 in anticipation of enemy occu pation which took place in August. 1942.

The surrender of the Japanese garrison on* Nauru was accepted on September 14, 1945, by a joint Australian naval and military force.

It was announced also that the com mercial radio service had now been re established between Nauru and Australia with the assistance of Amalgamated Wireless (A/asia), Ltd., ‘and that this service was now open to normal traffic.