[?]Eath Recalls

[?]N Old

[?]Ontroversy

The sudden death of Mr. T.

\ Manning in Honiara, BSIP,

i August 6, revived memories

I the early days of trans-Pacific

iation before the last war.

IR. MANNING in recent years had been Comptroller of Posts d Telegraphs, BSIP, but in the id-30’s he was the instrument — 1 one of them —whereby Britain aintained its claim to sovereignty er Canton Island and Christmas land.

The small Line Islands of the tcific, except for a little guano in e earliest days and coconuts in the ter days, were regarded as com etely worthless by most nations, ut in the 1930’5, developing air ansportation made some of them iddenly valuable. It was an era I flying-boats, of comparatively lort flying range, and places like anton, Hull, Enderbury and Christ las Island just happened to be in ie right spot for flying-boat staging laces on projected routes between forth America and Australasia. Legal iaim to most of them was pretty laky.

From an aviation point of view,

Canton Island, midway between Hawaii and New Caledonia, was particularly valuable to both the UK and USA, and both claimed it in 1936.

The island was probably discovered by American whalers and was named for a Bedford whaler that had been wrecked there in 1854; but British guano companies worked there in the latter half of the same century and in 1889 Britain had annexed it as one of the Phoenix Group when looking around for cable stations in that part of the Pacific.

In 1936 HMS Leith landed a party

on August 6 and erected a sign as serting British sovereignty; another British warship looked in in June, 1937 to see that the sign was in place; and American and British scientific parties landed soon after to observe a solar eclipse. At this stage, the Americans, too, put up a sign, claiming sovereignty; and in August, 1937, two British officials, of whom one was a radio-operator, were landed and British officials re mained thereafter. Tom Manning relieved the radio operator in early 1938.

Another party of Americans landed

[?] late Mr. T. H. Manning, of Honiara.

March, 1938, and set up camp de the Britishers. The two fac s got on famously and apart from ntaining their respective “seve nty boards,” left the business of ngling over possession to London Washington. anton and Enderbury eventually ime an Anglo-American Con linium and so they still remain. ►American Airways used the big ion at Canton for its Clippers be i the war; it was occupied by US :es during the war; and after the it was for some years an im tant station for all trans-Pacific line operators. The jets overfly iton and it is maintained now only emergencies and for some ser is between Honolulu and Pago o.

Iround 1938, Tom Manning was [sferred to Christmas Island as ng Administrative Officer and re ned for 3i years. Britain’s claim Christmas was also challenged at time, but Britain retained sole ereignty. Christmas Island’s real 1 in life—as a nuclear test area— omething of only recent develop it. American and New Zealand )ps garrisoned it during World r 11.

'om Manning was only 58 when jdied unexpectedly after a few s’ illness. He was born in North fon, and went first to Australia then to Fiji 30 years ago to work the old BP interisland ship Malake a wireless-operator. It was as a pless-operator he joined the lonial Service, but after his Christ s Island duty was stationed for a e at Labasa, Fiji, as postmaster, went to the Solomons in 1949 relieve Mr. Hugh Ragg and stayed in the Protectorate to become tnptroller of Posts and Telegraphs, *e is survived by a wife, formerly ss Ella Griffen, of Suva; and by daughter, Joanne (Mrs. A. drews), who lives in California.

notice board beneath the [?]s at Hull Island, right, an historic one. It said: [?] island belongs to His nnic Majesty King Edward and was visited by HMS [?] August, 1936. Signed, evir, Captain". Far right, ate Tom Manning, with his and daughter, at Christmas [?]d before the war, when he Acting Administrator there.