The Cheng Ho

Degener Gets Visa: Next Move Awaited

The action by which Mr. Otto Degener, of Honolulu, planned to comoel Captain de Bisschop, of Tahiti to deliver to him the famous luxury junk Cheng- Ho, in July, 1952, on payment by Degener of 15,000 US dollars in accordance with a contract made in 1947. was due to come before the French authorities in July: but no definite development is yet reported.

Some months age, Mr. Degener sought passport visas to allow him to visit Tahiti; but, to his great anger and indignation, the visa for Tahiti was refused by the French Consul in San Francisco. Thereupon Mi’. Degener began a bombardment of high American and French offi cials with statements of his case — he posted literally hundreds of photostat copies, and in May he personally visited Washington.

Mr. Degener s representative in Papeete, Mr. O. Nordman, made strong representations in the matter to the Governor of French Oceania; and, as this was clearly a case of misunderstanding, M. Petibon re ferred the matter back to the Consul in San Francisco.

In mid-June, Mr. Degener, then in New York, was informed by the French Consul that his visa for Tahiti had been granted. Mr. Deg ener then wrote and informed his friends in Tahiti that, as his honour bad been cleared, he saw no reason why he should visit Tahiti at this stage—he felt that his legal repre sentatives there could handle the ffheng Ho matter quite satisfactorily.

Meanwhile, the Cheng Ho is lying in Papeete Harbour and Captain de Bisschop who is registered in Papeete as the owner of the junk, ,s now away in the island of Rurutu. doing a survey job for the Govern ment.

The next chapter in the extra ordinary story of the Archbold family’s famous junk Cheng Ho is now awaited with interest.