Tragic Story Of Manus
p. 61 · Read in the full issue
THE Australian Minister for Air formally stated on September 22 that Manus, under Australian control, is “not regarded as an air base but is merely a form of base for refuelling and servicing.” The Government had extended, surfaced and widened the air strip at Momote and now could put large aircraft down there for refuelling and servic ing.
This is a remarkable change from the day in 1946 when Dr. H. V.
Evatt (then Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs but now mostly notable for his performances before the Petrov Commission) refused the United States permission to con
tinue the operation of the Manus base, then one of the biggest and most powerful in the Pacific Islands.
The Americans thereupon aband oned the base, to the delight and profit of various kinds of salvage folk; and when Australia, under the rapidly growing menace of Red Asia, later tried to re-establish the powerful organisation there, it was too late, and beyond Australia’s capacity to restore and maintain.
II Mr. Hugh H. Hickling has retired from the position of Education Officer, Cook Islands, and has acquired a property at Glendowie, Auckland. It is understood that Mr.
Hickling plans to write a book.