Nschhafen To-Day

LTHOUGH it is surrounded by jungles and mountains, and apparently serves no economic pose, a small community of •opeans and natives are in smne ree maintaining the establish ed at Finschhafen (on the main d of New Guinea, 60 miles north t of Lae.) There is a good small hour there, and Finschhafen, ■ing the war, was an important rsd base and was maintained as very large establishment, until st of the Navy staff and equip nt was removed to Manus, ifter the Manus transfer, the ce was handed over to the Ma e Section of Works & Housing partment and, for a time, an en eer. Mr. V. Dawson, with a staff 15 to 20 Europeans and 100 na ss, using the very considerable lipment available, carried out intenance work on the Adminis tion ships. They constructed a iting dock from the available vage and could handle vessels to 150 tons. t was difficult to get the right ie of tradesmen and considerable )blems developed and when the rritories vote was cut, much of ; establishment closed down, n May, however, there were five isels at Finschhafen rather hope sly awaiting maintenance. Some them had had new 80 hp engines stalled in place of 120 hp engines.

On last advices the European es tablishment at Finschhafen —which has been described as “still a tre mendous place”—consisted of an ADO, a body of police with a sub inspector in charge, a small Euro pean staff attached to the Educa tion department, a native hospital, and three officials of the Depart ment of Civil Aviation who, with a native staff, are keeping the old bomber strip in order as an emer gency alternative for Lae airstrip, 60 miles away. The Education offi cials have 200 native students there living in barracks and being trained in such things as carpentry and sheet-metal working.