G. W. L. Townsend, Obe

THIS McCarthy cartoon of, G. W. L.

Townsend is very topical. At the end of October, Mr. Townsend left Aus tralia for America where he will be attached to the Trusteeship section of the United Nations Secretariat on Long Island, New York. He will be Area Specialist for the South-West Pacific —a big job, but one to which his training and experience has made him particularly suited.

A gunner in the 1914-18 show, “Kassa”

Townsend proved himself to be fit enough to carry through again in the last war.

Well-known throughout New Guinea, “Kassa” has done a great deal of pioneer ing and was District Officer at Salamaua during the early days there. For many years he was in charge of the vast Senik district and had retired just before the outbreak of the Japanese war.

“Kassa” is a man of decided opinions,

but a keen sense of humour does much to take the edge off a certain abruptness of manner.

When a prospector died in his District, Townsend at once radioed the news to Rabaul. Immediately he received an urgent message from the Treasury De partment requesting that steps be taken to collect a sum of money owed by the deceased to the Administration.

The blunt demand on a person not yet buried shocked “Kassa’s” sense of de cency—he at once replied, “It is the cus tom in this District to wait until the body’s cold before cutting it up.”

With the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, Townsend was in charge of FELO during the war, and was responsible for the spread of propaganda to natives and Japanese throughout the SW Pacific. For his services he was awarded the OBE.