Hombu Hombu

Reason Why BSI Port Was Chosen

ON the subject of the gazettal of Hombu Hombu, Western Solomons, as a port-of-entry, Mr. W. F. M.

Clemens writes from Gaza, Palestine, where he is at present Acting District Commissioner. Mr. Clemens was an administrative officer in the Solomons during the critical war period:— TlfllTH reference to Mr. Gill’s letter in W Your September issue: The origi nal point at issue was, why had Hombu Hombu, BSI, been made a port of-entry. Surely because, for the moment, it is District Headquarters. No one seems to remember that Gizo is still a Port of-Entry—at any rate, I cannot recall its being cancelled in the Gazette. So that makes two.

The site of District Headquarters, for the Western end of the Solomons, may be obscure. The only reason that Hombu Hombu was chosen was force of circum stances, when I set up there in Sep tember, 1943. We liked our American Allies, but we wanted a little space to ourselves —which Mr. Gill himself en joyed for a while, during his war ser vice.

At that time, and for some time after, Gizo was in enemy territory, and we were entirely dependent on Munda for rations and supplies. As we had no transport, we had to stay at Munda. I presume lack of transport, and lack of facilities for rebuilding Gizo, have forced the Government to stay on at Hombu Hombu near Munda.

Mr. Gill gives the Roviana Bar figure as 2 h fathoms. The US Navy blasted a channel to a depth of 6 fathoms, and a ship drawing 27 feet went through in 1944. In any case, the post-war period has been, so far, devoid of big ships in the Solomons; and, as far as I can see, it will be thus for some time. So that rather foxes that one, doesn’t it?