No News Of The Procters
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
Since 1940
From Our Own Correspondent MANGAIA, January.
BRAZIL and Mangaia Island are very far apart; but in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro lives Mr. Charles Flinders Procter, a former local trader, who re tired in 1931, with his Mangaian wife and Euronesian family of three —two of whom were born in Rio.
Since the Pacific war, no news has been heard of the veteran and his young wife, though local friends wrote many times.
In his last letter, dated 1940, Mr. Proc ter criticised the Brazilian mail system, and also mentioned that a revolution had been attempted by political firebrands, beginning with an attack upon the Pre sident, who narrowly escaped assassina tion.
No more letters followed. It is to be hoped that Mr. Procter himself has not become a victim of revolutionary violence.
As a British subject, he should have been fairly safe. But the long, unbroken silence from Rio is causing anxiety here.
Caledonians are complaining against being held-up in Sydney, Australia, at the termination of the usual three months’ leave period. They say that the delay is not caused by the Australian Government, but by their own Adminis tration which is supposed to grant them an authorisation to return to their own country. The cost of passport visas issued in Noumea and on their wishing to return to the Colony has also been considerably increased of late.