President Kennedy Makes It Official

When we rana Mr. Reg Evans, in Sydney, early March, to find out how he felt now that he is famous on both sides of the Pacific as the man who got President Kennedy off that war-time BSIP islet, we found him cheerful, still considering it all a hit of a joke, hut, as he put it, “browned off with everyone in the journalistic profession”.

He has been run ragged by reporters trying to squeeze just a bit more out of the story and asks that next time “PIM” lets loose a journalistic rabbit, not to point it in his direction. (See “PIM”, Feb. p. 26).

But President Kennedy now knows who sent that canoe for him— it was reported from Washington, end of February, in such official terms that even the Australian Broadcasting Commission has caught up with the story and is prepared to believe it.

According to the Washington despatch, President Kennedy has. the note Evans sent him framed and on his office wall.

Only in the last month has he learned that it was an Australian who had organised his rescue and before Australian Prime Minister\ Menzies lunched with him in February, he had in five handwriting, experts to look the note over.

The experts came up with the information that the signature wasi “R R. Evans”. This has cast-down Reg Evans no end. He says he. never realised before how illegible his signature must be. For 17 years, he was supposed to be “Wincote” —and now the experts say hisi initials are R.R. (They are really A.R.).

He reckons that next time he writes any note to any Navy lieutenant\ he is going to sign it with a thumb print and a cross.