Do You Remember?

From PIM of 20 Years ago 3

With war not far off, it was not surprising that PlM’s issue of 20 years ago reflected the unsettled state of the world. Japanese ships seemed to be doing more and more poaching in the Pacific (one was arrested at Vila, but escaped a major penalty on a technicality); the US was warning anybody interested that if London and Paris were bombed America would move in to the defence; the Japanese were view ing “in the gravest light” a suggestion that the US might fortify Guam; and Germany, meanwhile, was reported to be helping Japan to fortify the Carolines. Yet there were other, less warlike happenings, too.

In Port Moresby, the Archbold Ex pedition’s flying-boat, “Guba”, made itself popular by taking residents for free joy rides. The children were taken up in batches of 40 at a time. * * * Fiji was more prosperous than it has ever been, retired Comptroller of Customs for Fiji, Mr. W. H. Brabant, told the NZ Press on arrival in Auckland. He said gold was one of the main reasons. * * * From Apia came news that the PWD had started work on part of the NZ Repara tions Estates at Vailele, to prepare a land ing strip. The report said it wasn t known if it was to be a civil or military airport —but probably both. $ * On January 31, the Solomons and the Morobe coast of NG had a severe earth quake. Faisi, Northern Solomons, got a violent shaking and a tidal wave, and there was damage to wharves and some old buildings. . , It was announced officially that Noumea had been selected as a stopping place for

PAA aircraft flying between Australia and America. But everybody, nevertheless, seemed very doubtful that the PAA regular service would ever eventuate. Nothing had happened since the Samoan Clipper was lost in 1937. * * * The Australian Cabinet on February 6 appointed a sub-committee to report on the proposal to amalgamate Papua and New Guinea Administrations. The amalga mation proposals were meanwhile received with “great suspicion” in Germany, one of whose newspapers described it as “swindling the former German pro tectorate”. * ♦ * For 50 years the wreck of the “Adler” had lain on the reef at Apia (see page 84) defying many attempts to remove it. But in January, Apia received a battering by storms more severe and prolonged than usual, and correspondents reported that the ancient wreck had at last taken on a different appearance, was now much re duced in size, and “might soon disappear”.