Airfield For Ocean Is.?

Letter to the Editor WAS interested to read in your December issue the article on “Air Service for Phosphate lands.” I refer to the last para ■aph, wherein Mr. H. E. Maude, rmer Resident Commissioner in ie Gilbert and Ellice Colony, said Ocean Island: “Nowhere is there bit of ground suitable for con irsion into an air strip, except at lormous expense.”

This took my mind back to Dvember, 1904, when we (ss Titus) sre chartered by two American losphate men from Jacksonville, orida, to call at certain un habited islands in the Pacific, two them being Anuda and Mitre lands.

On arriving at Ocean Island, lich was a regular call of ours, 3 obtained permission from the anager of the Phosphate Co., Mr. ?rt Ellis, (afterwards Sir Albert) r these Americans to come ashore, ley had a long chat with Mr. Ellis, id I well remember their remark g that if they owned the island, ey would either blast a dock there, build a cantilever jetty, which Duld enable ships to come in iderneath.

Mr. Ellis said that it would be ipossible, or could only be done at emendous cost. We all know that any years later the cantilever was lilt.

Similarly, if an airfield at Ocean

Island did cost a lot of money, it would be worth it, and it must eventually be built some day. I cannot see such an important place as Ocean Island being bypassed by planes from Nauru to Tarawa.

I saw correspondence as far back as 1921 on the subject of starting an air service from Sydney to Tarawa.

I am, etc.,

Super-Cargo

Sydney, 2/1/52.

In early January, the Assistant District Officer of Wau, New Guinea, Mr. H. P. Seale, accom panied by Mr. Austin Ireland, was “on patrol” between Wau and Salamaua with 14 young lads home from school in Australia. The boys’ ages ranged from 10 to 16 years— and may be future Patrol Officers in the making!