A New Pacific

Airway

Hawaii to Samoa

From John Williams

HONOLULU. August 1.

REGISTERED in Pago Pago and Hawaii, and financed and managed entirely by Samoan interests. Samoan Area Airways have succeeded in blazing a new commercial air trail in the Central Pacific.

This may be ground-work for closer co operation between British. American and French air interests.

Four successful round-flights already have been made between Honolulu and Pago Pago (American Samoa) with a DC-4 chartered from Pacific Overseas Airlines of Honolulu. The company is purchasing its own DC-4, and a Catalina flying boat, which will be used to pioneer new routes from Pago Pago to the south and east.

The entire operations of the company are under the strict regulations of the US Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Veteran American air crews are employed, but wherever possible Samoans are used ro assist them. Samoan hostesses add a distinct charm to the air cruises.

Sadie Thompson’s Inn, at Pago Pago, has been modernised and extended for the use of visitors who have, too, the choice of new native huts at various places‘ if they want “to go native.”

President of the new concern is Lawrence M. Coleman, who was born and educated at Pago Pago, and specialised in business courses at Honolulu. San Fran cisco, New York and Washington, D.C.

His brother-in-law. Peter E. Reid, is secretary-treasurer. Mr. Reid is manag ing director of G. H. C. Reid Co., the old-established general merchants of Pago Pago. Mrs. Reid is local agent of the Airways.

United States naval authorities have greatly assisted the company. Former

Governor, Captain H. A. Hansen, set the ball rolling. To-day’s officials who are helping to open the Central Pacific to this new traffic are: Governor of Ameri can Samoa, Captain Vernon Huber; cap tain of the yard. Commander W. J.

Germershausen; Attorney-General, Com mander W. J. Bivens: Senior Medical officer, Captain V. G. Colvin; chief Customs officer, Lt. Joseph Eikam; and operations officer, Lt. A. G. Trube, jr.

Mr, Coleman, who is in charge of the company’s office at Honolulu, is supervis ing the purchase of additional equipment and the establishment of a branch office at Los Angeles, California. The or ganised Samoan community at Honolulu and the Hawaii Visitors’ Bureau (a non profit, community agency) are assisting Mr. Coleman to publicise the objectives of the new airline.

A distinguished New Caledonian is visiting Noumea after an absence of 20 years. He is Lieut.-Col. Maurice Bichon, who holds the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre with four citations. He was captured in the early part of the war, but was later able to rally the French Forces, with whom he fought in Italy and France. After serving with the occupation forces in Germany, he joined General Leclerc’s expeditionary force in Indo-China.

A whaleboat containing three native men. one woman and three children, which left Rakahanga for Manihiki (a distance of 25 miles) on July 12, failed to reach its destination and has been re ported missing. The auxiliary ketch ‘New Golden Hind” was despatched from Rarotonga to conduct a search and aircraft have been asked to keep a 1c <k out: but so far no report has been nude of the missing ooat.

Lawrence M. Coleman, head of Samoa Area Airways, and his sister, Mrs. Mabel Reid, wife of Peter E. Reid, of Pago Pago. Mr. Reid is secretary-treasurer of the company, and Mrs.

Reid is Pago Pago agent.