[?]Acific Defence

[?]He P-Ng Role

[?] South

Having toured Papua and New

uinea, Australian Army Minister

rancis made a number of announce

ents to indicate the Territories’ role

any scheme of defence;—

• The Papua-N. Guinea Volunteer fles mostly European would be sisted and encouraged, so as to provide pool of officers and trained men as iders of an expanded native force, if quired. • Units of the Pacific Islands Regiment, w 650 strong, all natives, would be itioned at strategic points in both rritories. They were responding ex llently to training as jungle fighters d craftsmen. Consideration was being yen to the establishment of more tive units. • The re-establishment of Manus as a eat base for the Navy and Air Force rth of New Guinea had been completed Australia two years before it was due. d It would be actively occupied. Steps re being taken to salvage a part of the luable war equipment left behind there Americans, and still there.

Statements by other Ministers ex

essed a hope that the Americans

ain would make use of the Manus se.

Mr. Bruce Bacon, formerly of

e BSI Trade Scheme staff, and

r. Russ Gordon, who has been

th one of the Islands Agents

Sydney for over 10 years, have

ined forces to establish their own

ands buying organisation in Syd

y. Their new firm is called Pan

icific Service.

On November 13, the English freighter Maplebank reported by radio that she had lost a man over board during the early hours of the morning at a position about 30 miles north-west of Palmerston Island in the Cooks.

Rabaul

Entertained

Some of the people [?]n stage during the [?]inale of Rabaul [?]oundabont, a revue [?]ith a local cast of [?]00 which had a eason of three [?]ights in November.

The idea was the Rev. F. White’s [?]Ir. Arthur Savage [?]roduced the show. [?]ets were designed [?]y the D.C., Mr. J. [?]. McCarthy, Mrs. [?]uy Black designed [?]e costumes and [?]ayers came from [?]rery community in [?]abaul. —Photos Casuarina [?]udios.