What N. Guinea Could

Mean to Australia

“TNTERNATIONAL events giving X the opportunity, there should be a great future for New Guinea,” writes Pastor A. J. Campbell, of the SDA Eastern Highlands Mission, Goroka. “Australia, very rightly, is taking a lot more interest in New Guinea than it used to, but for the life of me cannot understand why it does not take a whole lot more.”

Noting some recent developments in the country, Mr. Campbell says: “Roads are improving, but not as rapidly as they should: better bridging is being promoted (a great

need); a good deal of settlement is taking place, as can be seen from the ‘highway’, and small native coffee plantations are springing into being. The new Banz-Minj bridge, nearly finished, across the Wahgi River, will be a great asset to the area. The Goroka airstrip is being made into a double strip.

“There is an air of activity in this country these days. And thus it should be, for how can we keep a valuable country like this without doing something about it when, in these times of rapid air travel, hundreds of millions of people aie milling about close to our doors?” he continues.

“Without question this country could take a good deal more Euro pean settlement, thus making de velopment more solid in outlook.

With the right safeguards, it would be of benefit to all concerned. Pro mising industrial development seems to be looming on Goroka’s horizon —a fine thing for the country.

“Private enterprise—w it h, of course, deep, sympathetic Govern ment interest—could play a great part in the development of New Guinea—the bridge to Asia, or from Asia to Australia, whichever way we look at it.”