Decaying Manus
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
Australia Takes Over Former USA Base
THE last of the Americans were in pro cess of withdrawal from the Manus Base (in the Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea) in March, and a small party of Australians was moving in.
It was anticipated, after Japan sur rendered, that the United States would retain the Manus Base, upon the con struction of which they had spent an enormous sum. It was expected that Aus tralia would agree gladly to United States holding title over this bastion, because the presence of Americans in such a posi tion would automatically give protection to Australia against Asia.
The Australian Socialist Government, however, insisted upon its “rights.” Manus was part of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea, and Australia is the Man datory—therefore, Manus must be Aus tralian. But Messrs. Chifley and Evatt, in a moment of expansion and great generosity, did say that, under certain conditions, they might permit the Ameri cans to retain occupancy of Manus.
The United States reply, given about the end of 1946, was an announcement that America would abandon the Base, and American ships have been removing equipment ever since.
Little parties of officials from Australia and New Guinea have been visiting Manus and looking over their new king dom, and Australian Ministers have an nounced that an Australian naval and air base will be maintained there. Ac tually, Australia has neither the resources nor the men to maintain even half the base in the manner intended by the American designers.
An American newspaper correspondent was in Manus in February and, in his despatches, published on March 1, this is how he describes the Manus of the present day; As soon as the Americans leave, the Australians, who include three Air Force officers and 15 Government employees now stationed on the other side of the island, will move into the port area.
The port, which once harboured 1,000 war vessels, now contains a single ship, loading surplus equipment for China.
Victoria-avenue, main street of the crumbling base, is lined with deserted warehouses and rusting earth-moving equipment. Asphalt roads have long since gone to pieces, and jungle vines are begin ning to march across them. Bridges con structed only four years ago to carry Allied invasion forces already .are be ginning to crack up.