yesterday

In Suva, 20 years ago, gam

of workmen were putting th

finishing touches to the na

seaplane base at Laucala Ba

in preparation for the low

awaited overseas air link, t

Pan American Airways Clippa

on their flights between t\ United States and New Za land. This was the main Pach

development that October,

Islands residents cast unecc. eyes towards the Far Ei

when American-]apanese tab

on Pacific “stability” appears

to be getting nowhere.

Here are other extracts frr “PIM” of October, 1941; Rear Admiral Thierry D’ArgenLJ arrived in Tahiti to take over t post of Free French High Coc missioner in the Pacific: a quj beginning to a stormy career, was the controversial figure \w caused an explosion in New Cas donia some months later by di missing the popular Governor, Hes Sautot, who had earlier ralll Frenchman in the Pacific to 1 Free French flag. D’Argenli himself was eventually forced leave New Caledonia. ♦ * * Regulations came into force set up the New Guinea Cop Marketing Committee to handle sales of the Territory’s copra at guaranteed price. This was i first step in the projected Sou Pacific Copra Pool. ♦ * * The two-years’ task of traj ferring 2,000 Gilbertese from i over-populated Gilbert Islands the Phoenix Group (Hull, GardJ and Sydney Islands) was coo pleted. But the last shipload v attended by tragedy—Mr. G.

Gallagher, one of the most able? the Western Pacific High Co mission young officers, who H been in charge of the project, (h suddenly at Gardner fro peritonitis. * * * Another death recorded was t)d of BSI pioneer “Joe” Binskin. spent 50 years in the Solonu running schooners, trading a£ finally, planting (at an estate had carved out of the virgin fon of Bagga Island, West!

Solomons). * * * Unlike today, when Territok Minister Paul Hasluck seems toe a permanent fixtures at Canbei; there was another new holder h the Territories portfolio this mom a Western Australian Senator, !

James Fraser. The eighth Minisi in four years, he had had personal acquaintance with Territories over which he assun control—and the comments fr; Papua and New Guinea vw acidly.