The Editors' Mailbag

Criticism of Biography

A RATHER caustic survey of the \ biography of Sir Hubert Murray, produced a couple of fears ago by Lewis Lett, has been hritten by Mr. J. T. Bensted. Mr. tensted, now a resident of Sydney, oined the Papua Public Service ver 50 years ago, and, from high fficial positions, either witnessed or ook part in most of the principal vents in the Territory during the Jovernorship of Sir George Le [unte and Sir Hubert Murray.

I have seen Mr. Bensted’s page y-page criticism of Mr. Lett’s book nd, for the sake of historical ac uracy and record, I hope it finds S place in a library, if not in print, Ir. Bensted is among Sir Hubert ffurray’s warmest admirers: but hat has not blinded him to Sir tubert’s many human weaknesses, nd he objects very strongly indeed 0 what he regards as the poetic Icence with which Mr, Lett has lossed the story of Sir Hubert’s Ife.

In addition, Mr. Bensted’s com lilation contains a lot of new mat er of historical value.

Salutes for Governors

A DELIGHTFUL story of Sir Hubert is told by Mr. Bensted, concerning the occasion when he German Governor of New Guinea called officially at Port Moresby.

“Sir Hubert, being the junior in international rank, had to pay the irst call; and he was met with a lalute of guns, and appropriate jeremony.

“When the visit was returned, sir Hubert was in some difficulty, le had no guns—not even one— md, at that time, he had not even 1 drink to offer his visitor.

“But he had half-plugs of either iynamite or gelignite exploded in he air, at suitable intervals (a sommon practice in signalling); and ne borrowed a bottle of spirits from Mr. Tyser, the second engineer of lis official patrol vessel, the Merrie Sngland.”

Mr. Bensted gives us the origin )f the dynamite trick. When Sir George LeHunte was governor, and 'eturned to Port Moresby, he was ilways greeted with a salute. It was ;he duty of Head Gaoler John Mac ionald to place open kerosene tins, each containing a plug of dynamite, vith fuse and detonator attached, it calculated distances apart, in the jrass on the top of Paga Hill. When :he Merrie England, with the Gov ernor, appeared around the Point, John would run from one tin to the

other, lighting the fuses at the correct intervals; and the combina tion of tin cans and dynamite gave His Excellency the required number of “big bangs.” Officialdom was satisfied, and the natives delighted.

Mokerang, of Manus

A Correspondent, In Manus

not long ago, writes to express pleasure in the report that American airmen are likely to return to that “bastion of Anglo- American Pacific defence.”

He says that when the Americans were driven out of Manus in 1946 by Australia’s own Dr. Evatt, they left behind two very excellent air strips—Momote, across the base of the peninsula, and Mokerang, not very far away, at the tip of the peninsula.

Momote was between 7,000 and 8,000 feet long and, as it has build ings and other equipment, it has been maintained in use by the Australians.

Mokerang 9,600 feet long, with three great runways, was not only the longest strip in the South Pacific—it also had a surface which could take the impact of the biggest planes used. Australia, in capable of taking care of such a large base, allowed Mokerang to deteriorate from the time of the American evacuation, until the Red Asia development brought us all back from our Socialistic dreams to international realities.

If Muscovite submarines really are prowling in New Guinea waters, they probably will be trying to see what if anything we are doing now with that Mokerang strip.

Murder in Rabaul,

Jan., 1942

“YjrrHAT was the name of the W Scandinavian ship that was in Rabaul when the Japs in vaded? What became of her?” asks a correspondent.

For some days before the Japs arrived—and all officialdom knew they were coming—the modern Nor wegian motor-ship Nordhavet con tinued to load copra at the Rabaul wharf. She easily could have es caped South, with the whole of the non-military civilians aboard; but, in response to the urgent appeals of Mr. Harold Page (Government Secretary, temporarily in charge) Australia told them to stay there and keep on loading copra.

When the planes of the oncoming Japs began to fly over Rabaul, everyone with a big gun had a shot at them. The most consistent and

accurate shooting came from the ack-ack guns of the doughty Nor wegians aboard the Nordhavet.

When the Japs arrived, the Nord havet was bombed and set afire, and drifted across the harbour, and grounded alongside the town. She ultimately sank there. Most of her crew of 32 joined the Australians in the prison camp, and died with them on the Montevideo Maru.

Some bone-head official was re sponsible for keeping those 300 civilians, and that good ship, in Rabaul —a useless and stupid sacrifice. Again and again, PIM has tried to find out who gave the orders which prevented the evacua tion, about January 17-18, 1942.

Again and again, officialdom has seen to it that we did not get the information. Whoever it was —if he still lives —should never be allowed to forget that wholesale murder, and of how hundreds of women and children lost their bread-winners, for no purpose whatever.

This is written amost exactly 10 years, to the day, after the Japs invaded (January 23, 1942).

Fiji’s Fifth Industry

APROPOS of an article in Novem ber PIM concerning Fiji tour ism, Whites Travel Service of NZ (a department of Whites Aviation) writes to show us how its Fiji tourist business has grown in just three tourist seasons.

Whites say that in collaboration with Northern Hotels, Ltd., of Fiji, it pioneered the Fiji tour business in 1949. During the first season 10 parties with a total of 81 tourists were sent; in 1950 there were 21 parties and 112 tourists; and in the last season 21 parties and a total of 184 tourists—all from NZ.

Whites too, hand bouquets to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hunt of Suva who “have looked after our parties during the time they have spent in the Suva sector of the itinerary . . . it is largely due to their efforts that our people have had such an en joyable time on that side of the island.”

The annual report issued recently by the Fiji Publicity Board shows that the Colony benefited to the extent of £102,000 from the tourist business in 1950 and now is in fifth position in the Colony’s earning industries. In the Board’s opinion only one thing prevents its becom ing top industry—and that is lack of hotel accommodation.

In 1950, 3,400 air travellers spent some time in Fiji. Figures for 1901, when available, are expected to show an increase in numbers and also in profits to the Colony.

Mr. Carl Jacobsen, P-NG Legis lative Council Member for the New Guinea mainland, arrived in Bris bane on December 13 for a holiday.