Dwindling Phosphate

Supplies

Grave Problem for Japan

ALTHOUGH Japanese shipping is only now resuming contact with Australia and New Zealand, by far the most important South Pacific trade for Japan at present is with Makatea Island (French Oceania), For the past year almost the entire annual phosphate output of the island (250,000 tons) has been going to Japan in an endless stream of modern, well kept, streamlined and attractive-appearing ships, which, in fair weather, load at the rate of about one per week. A few have brought cement and other goods to Papeete, but most have come south in ballast direct to Makatea.

With Makatea approaching the end of its productive life—variously estimated at from 10 to 20 more years—it is interesting to note that an official of the Compagnie Fran caise des Phosphates de I’Oceanie’s head office in Paris recently con ducted an examination of Niau atoll, 130 miles west of Makatea.

The Co. has long held a concession on Niau, which is a somewhat raised atoll, the lagoon being actually a brackish lake completely enclosed by dry land, rising to 25 feet. The lake is about the same depth and contains considerable phosphate.

While the 5i miles-long island is not anything like so rich in phos phate deposits as Makatea; it ap pears likely that the Co. will exploit them. The atoll has a small popu lation.

WITH Makatea as Japan’s main source of phosphate, the Jap anese are likely to be very interested in the future of that French island and any other poten tial supply sources, especially as her other main source—Angaur, in the Western Carolines, now under American control —is rapidly dwind ling. Phosphate is vital to Jap anese agricultural food production.

Angaur, administered as part of the Trust Territory of Micronesia, by the USA, is actually operated under licence by a Japanese Com pany which, last year, employed 400 Japanese and 45 local natives.

The American Administration last year reported to the Trustee ship Council that it is intended to exploit only a further 600,000 tons of Angaur phosphate—and present exports are at the rate of 100,000 tons per annum. Thus, within a few years, the only other South Pacific sources of high grade phos phate of any importance, apart from Nauru and Ocean, will cease to exist.

Many smaller deposits, like those on Niau, and numerous other little islands south of the equator, may then assume new importance.