New Stage In

Cheng Ho Story

De Bisschop Now Attacks Degener

THE history of the junk-like vessel Cheng Ho, currently mouldering in Papeete harbour, has been told here in its various phases. The facts surrounding its post-war history, and details of the situation from which later troubles have stemmed, were set out rather fully in our issue of March, 1949.

Now, from Tahiti, comes a 12page cyclostyled statement in French, issued by Captain Eric de Bisschop, one of the shareholders and the recent master of the troubled craft.

The statement recounts the history of Cheng Ho from the time that Captain de Bisschop, his wife, and others, went into a partnership with Otto Degener, of Honolulu, on a plan to run fish from Palmyra to Hawaii. It tells how that plan, due to legal technicalities and lack of finance, did not come into operation: and how, to overcome some of these difficulties, it was decided to register the vessel under the French flag in Papeete.

The statement attacks Otto De gener; former French Consul Pecker, of Honolulu; and former Governor Maestracci, of French Oceania, for failure to assist the company in its technical troubles in Honolulu. It indicates that most of the difficulties were associated with inability to convert francs to dollars.

It is shown that Captain de Bisschop—who, on his own account ing, is no business man—inadvert ently allowed the Customs Depart ment, in Tahiti, to make out the registration of the vessel in his own name, instead of in that of the Company and, furthermore, to make spelling mistakes in his own name.

De Bisschop shows how, later, in a Honolulu Court, when the Com pany was unable to meet its dollar debts to Degener, and Degener was fighting for seizure of the vessel from the Company, a clever lawyer ‘‘proved” to the Court that De Bisschop (supposed to be in collab oration with the then Governor of Tahiti) had forged the registration.

Now, with the vessel lying in Tahiti, and the error in registra admitted by the Customs and righted, De Bisschop apparently is confident that he will receive fairer treatment in a French Court than he claims to have received in Ameri can Courts in Honolulu.

The statement suggests that De Bisschop now plans to bring a per sonal action against Degener for libel, and then to fight the matter of ownership in an effort to re cover the funds which he claims were invested by the Company, his own wife (who is President of the Company) and her family, who came to his financial rescue in

Honolulu when for a time it appeared as though Degener would be vicl torious.

A little ship of 82 tons, for thi Lutheran Mission in New Guinea! has been launched at the Normai Wright yards, in Brisbane. She has been named the Simbang, and wil cost about £30,000.