Search Being Made by Australia

1,200 Nauruans Still Missing

Canberra, Jan. 15.

mHE Australian Department of External L Territories is trying to trace 1,200 Nauruans who disappeared from Nauru during its occupation by the Japanese.

The Secretary of the External Terri tories Department, Mr. J. R. Halligan, who onlv recently returned from a visit to Nauru, said tb-day that news is ex pected soon of the missing natives.

Inquiries carried out by his Department made it clear that 1,200 natives had been shipped bv the Japs from Nauru to Truk (Caroline’islands). Two Jap ships were supposed to have taken the natives away some time in 1943.

Mr. Halligan said that Police Inspec tor T. H. Cude, of Nauru, had been de tailed to trace the natives, and the External Territories Department was awaiting word from him before arranging the repatriation of the missing Nauruans.

Mr. Halligan remarked on the good

mb of cleaning uo that had been done on Nauru since its fecaoture from the Japs.

The officials of the British Phosphate Commission and the Administrator of Nauru, Mr. Ridgeway, had done excel lent work in restoring order in the island.

Phosphate was not yet being shipped from Nauru, but the work of reorganisa tion of the phosphate industry had made good progress.

Mr. Halligan said that officers of the Phosphate Commission had also visited nearby Ocean Island, to prepare for the re-establishment of the phosphate in dustry there.

During his recent trip, Mr. Halligan visited Papua, New Guinea. Nauru and, later, Norfolk Island. He did not go to Ocean Island, and heard nothing of the fate of the officials who remained on Ocean Island in 1942.

When he went to Norfolk, he was accompanied by Mr. Alex. Wilson, the new Administrator, in succession to Sir Charles Rosenthal.