Remember?

Do You Remember?

In Papua, Papua Oil Develop

ments Ltd. (an off-shoot of Shell)

had just announced it was abandon

ing its exploratory work and its

four permit areas after spending

£430,000 in three years; in the BSI, Mr. W. S. Marchant had just been

appointed Resident Commissioner

of the Protectorate; in Fiji, pioneer

colonist Captain David Robbie was

being feted by Levuka citizens on

his 90th birthday—that was the Pacific of 20 years ago.

Other items from “PIM” of April, 1939: A message from Tarawa said that the US had turned “a covetous eye” on Fan ning, Christmas and Washington Islands, and a recent visit by BP’s “Moama” was “therefore of special interest”. Looking back 20 years, it doesn’t seem so very in teresting now, but the passenger list of that voyage still includes some familiar names—all of them still on deck, but in far different capacities. There were Acting Resident Commissioner for the G. and E., Mr. R. H. Harvey; Administrative Officer E.

Leembruggen; Administrative Officer P. D.

Macdonald on transfer to Fanning and Mr.

H. E. Maude, Commissioner for Lands. * ♦ ♦ PIM reported that all of Papeete had been in danger by fire on March 22 when one of the town’s old landmarks, an old warehouse known as the fare maehaa, and nearby copra sheds caught alight. All Papeete, under the Governor, M. Chastenet de Gery, turned out and fought “a gallant 12-hour battle, with his Excellency in the front line”. They saved the day, but only after the new Customs House and the Port Office had been demolished to prevent the spread. ♦ * * A big Japanese trading firm was offering £2 a ton more than the ruling rates for native copra in the Gilberts, and was thus suspected of being subsidised by the Japanese Government with the idea of obtaining a firmer foothold in the Pacific by “peaceful penetration” methods. * * * The old, never-ending argument flared up again—the outposts v. headouarters.

This time it was in the New Hebrides, where French planters were complaining that although the outlying islands pro vided three-quarters of the budget, all the amenities —good homes, light and power, hospitals, etc.—were going to Vila. (For Vila, substitute Port Moresby, Suva, Apia, etc.). * * * In Western Samoa, they had authorised formation of a European Volunteer Force “for the defence of West Samoa”. A ship ment of rifles, machine-guns and ammu nition had just arrived. * ♦ ♦ Assistant District Officer J. L. Taylor had nut in a report about his later famous patrol from Wabag to the Sepik district of NG. Making first contact with the May River people, Taylor commented: “One party of warriors stood on the high bank of the river with their arms stacked be hind them, and beckoned our canoe party to come in close where they might shoot down upon us!”