‘The Coast Watchers’ Is

Sold Out

11/E have had several inquiries from ff readers anxious to purchase copies of Eric Feldt’s “The Coast Watchers.” The first edition has been completely sold out and there apparently is not a copy to be bought anywhere in Australia.

The author informs us that there is no prospect of a reprint of the book. The publishers are of the opinion that there is not sufficient demand to justify it.

This seems absurd. Few Australian books have been attended with the suc cess that met “The Coast Watchers;” fewer have sold out more quickly. This is more remarkable when one considers the price at which the book sold—some thing over 17/-. Australians mainly come into the penny class of reading matter, their interest beginning and ending with the daily and Sunday newspapers.

Not only is “The Coast Watchers” of current interest but it is valuable as a re ference book. An extraordinary amount of work has obviously gone into its com pilation, its detail is immense and it con tains, as well, very valuable indexes. It is an important contribution to the his tory of the war in the South West Pacific and, as such, should have a steady sale for many years.

The Tonkinese in New Caledonia are inveterate gamblers, and the Noumea police are their natural enemies. The other day the police made one of then successful hauls, which resulted in twelve Tonkinese appearing before the local court. The magistrates fined the owner of the house and the banker 2,000 francs each, plus brief terms of imprisonment.

The other players had to pay fines of from 25 to 200 francs.