Islands

Danger Of Deer In Pacific

From Our Own Correspondent YOUR readers, particularly those in deer-ridden New Caledonia and New Zealand, and rabbit-ridden Austra lia, will be surprised to learn how even some “scientists” will not learn from ex perience.

In spite of common knowledge as to the destructiveness of deer, when once introduced into an island environment, Mr. Colin Lennox, president of the Board of Agriculture and Forestry in the Hawaiian Islands, has decided to intro duce axis deer into the Island of Hawaii.

This decision is causing a flurry of ex citement and alarm, not only among local nature-lovers, but in Federal circles in Washington, DC, as well, because these deer, when once liberated on Territorial lands, will undoubtedly migrate to one of t.he most precious areas of Federal lands, the famed Hawaii National Park.

With no native carnivorous animal in Hawaii, the deer will reproduce by leaps and bounds, until checked by starvation; and this, unfortunately, follows the eat ing and destruction of every edible plant within reach. The island and its pe culiar flora, which has taken millions of years to evolve, is threatened with devas tation by the ill-advised plan of one man.

I am, etc.,

Otto Degener.

Honolulu, 15/6/1950.

Newspaper correspondents, who are covering the Manus war trials, have dis covered Peter Deneszczulo, a New Aus tralian, whom they christened the “Over time King of Manus.” He works about 11 hours a day and earns £25 a week.