Impresses High SPC Official

[?]utch Activity in West N. Guinea Impresses High SPC Official

Hollandia, Nov. 17.

UY general impression, from H what I have just seen, is that Itherlands New Guinea is an brmous land mass, covered with im petrable forests and inaccessible ountains, and that it contains a imber of very charming people Dm Holland, all of whom speak

ffect English!”

In this way Sir Leslie Brian [eeston, KCMG, Secretary-General I the South Pacific Commission, ribed his impressions after his ten ys’ visit to Western New Guinea.

“I have been amazed to see how

ach has been accomplished here in very short time. In the face of im snse natural difficulties, with very aited resources in men, money and iterial, and embarrassed until very :ently by uncertainty regarding the litical future, the Government and ople of Netherlands New Guinea ve done more in the last two years an has been achieved in any other Jpical territory that I know.

“Of course, it is only the begin ng, and much remains to be done; *» as my French friends tell me: e est que le premier pas qui ute . And if the same high standards

of wisdom, energy and faith can be maintained, the future of this ter ritory is indeed full of hope.”

Asked what he thought of Nether lands New Guinea compared with the Australian part, he answered: “I have not yet seen Australia New Guinea—l am going there next week, As regards the rest of the Pacific, conditions in the smaller islands are so different that any comparison with New Guinea is almost meaningless.

“From what I have seen here, I am

reminded of tropical Africa. In Tanganyika, for example, one was faced with the same enormous dist ances without adequate means of transport and communication; with natural resources only partially known and exploited; and with native peoples who, for the most part, had only reached the outer fringes of culture and enlightenment.”

Sir Brian visited the Nimboran area where, in the framework of the social development plans of the South Pacific Commission for under developed countries, a “pilot project” is being carried out, for which SPC has granted £l,lOO to buy the essential plant. (Over)

[?]r Brian Freeston arriving at Sentani [?]strip, Hollandia, Dutch N. Guinea. In [?] plane doorway, behind him, is Dr. [?] V. de Bruyn, who lived among the [?] untain tribes of the interior during [?] Jap occupation and eluded them so [?]cessfully that he was called “Jungle [?]pernel”.

“From the house-building scheie which I have seen in progress, b on the isle of Biak and in Hollanc I have been struck by the impress scale and the careful lay-out, andt the astonishing rapidity of consti: tion,” he said. ‘The new technicp employed for the manufacture cheap but effective coral-cenn blocks are extremely interesting, ; the details will be eagerly studied! those who are concerned in hov building in other parts of the Soc Pacific.”

Northbound passengers per Maui Pom[?] in November included: Miss M. Reid [?] holiday to Rarotonga with Miss P. Bis[?] who was returning after 4½ years New Zealand.

Mrs. L. Jonassen, son Reinhardt [?] younger children were returning Rarotonga.

Mrs. A. Anderson was returning Aitutaki on holiday and Mr. J. Ma[?] was paying a business visit there.