Only a Few Americans

Left in New Caledonia Now

THREE hundred American soldiers were scheduled to leave Noumea, New Caledonia, on February 5. With their departure only the few men attached to the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commission remain of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who were once stationed in the colony.

The OFLC is disposing of huts, cars, trucks, boats, oil and camp equipment.

Some of this material is being bought on behalf of the government of Indo-China.

The Camp Barnes Pentagon area, former US Army headquarters, with its huge central building and fine church, has been occupied by the 14 families who have arrived from France to establish the French Oceanic Scientific Society.

This society has taken over the schooner Evaleeta which the Americans purchased in Australia in 1942.

The US Army gave up the Tontouta airfield on January 31, and it is now under civil control. The large Plaine des Gaiacs airfield which was built further up the west coast, for the use of bombers during the war, is now over grown with grass and is the grazing place for herds of goats.

New Caledonia is still living on profits made when the Americans were there and although most citizens have profited by the disposal of American Army equipment and stores, other goods are very expen sive. The colony is having a serious drought and cattle cannot get sufficient to eat off the dry pastures. Noumea is suffering from a vegetable shortage.

French Caledonians used to leave vege table cultivation to hired coolie labour before the war.