Old Hand' Gets Netherlands
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
New Guinea Appointment
From a Correspondent in Hollandia Dr. P. J. Platted, a former resident commissioner of the >ld Dutch East Indies, and war-prisoner of the Japanese, has icen appointed Governor of Netherlands New Guinea in sue ession to Dr. Jan van Baal.
E will take up his new post on May 1, and in the meantime, Netherlands New Guinea has Acting Governor Mr. J. C. rspul, vice - president of the •d of Directors—who was sworn n March 31. ■. van Baal resigned his post on same date, and has returned lolland. He was appointed Gov r in April, 1953, and his term ffice was up. guard -of - honour farewelled at Hollandia. therlands New Guinea’s new irnor is 47. He gained his Ph.D trecht University in 1936, on a s called “The Basis of the Con tion of the Dutch East Indies”, went to the DEI in 1937, work is a district officer in several ■es, and was interned by the nese during the war. He was a reserve commissioned of- Has Visited Australia visited Australia after his re in 1945, and later went back le East Indies as a civil ad strator, until the sovereignty ration in 1950 when he re d to Holland. has since been working at The e on internal and social af matters.
Flatted is the third Gov to be appointed to Nether- New Guinea. 3 of the last official functions ’• van Baal, before he retired, o welcome Australian External ■s Minister Casey, on his brief to NNG. Mr. Casey flew from la to Biak, where he was met ’• van Baal, and they went on Jllandia together for talks on alian-Dutch co-operation.
Casey told a press conference ollandia that he was “aston ’ at the development in NNG
he energy being displayed,
said in answer to a question the possibility of the Nether joining SEATO had never discussed, and the organisa vas already formed. 7 Guinea, he said, was a “stra and important island, but a stion made in Canberra re r by Mr. John Kerr, OC, about 3lanesian Federation was “a on for the far future”.
Before the Board of Directors in Hol landia, March 31, Dr. Jan van Baal (left) swears in Mr. J. C. Baarspul as Acting Governor of Netherlands NG. —W. E. Tausent.