The Month

In Review

Protests and expressions of uneasiness about France's proposed nuclear tests in the Tuamotus dominated the news from the South Pacific in May . But everything seemed to point to the fact that the tests would begin within a month or two.

Papua-new guinea was not in the headlines as frequently and insistently as has been the case in recent months.

But there were three events that could have far-reaching con sequences. They were: • A decision by Indonesian and Australian technical experts, meeting in Canberra, to recom mend to their Governments that 14 marker points be set up in the first stage of a survey to fix the border between West New Guinea and Papua-New Guinea. It was also agreed that the border should ultimately be marked by a strip of cleared jungle. • A ruling by Mr. Justice Minogue in the Papua-New Guinea Supreme Court in Port Moresby that about 690 acres of land near Rabaul, which did not exist until it rose from the sea when Vulcan Island erupted in 1937, belonged to the Australian Administration, and not to the Latlat people who have been growing crops on part of the land since 1939. • The declaration of 132 acres of land on New Britain as a mining reserve, following the dis covery there of traces of minerals, particularly copper.

Important visitors to P-NG during the month were Prince Charles, heir to the British Throne, and the Australian Governor-General, Lord Casey.

The main events in other ter ritories were; American Samoa : Governor H.

Rex Lee warned a meeting of the territory’s traditional leaders that they must help to speed up the leasing of land for houses for victims of the January hurricane, otherwise some of the housing programme funds might be lost.

Cook Islands: After rumours of a political scandal had been going the rounds in Rarotonga for several weeks, two Ministers resigned from Cabinet, and one of them, Mr. Julian Dashwood, was charged with corruption.

Fiji: A plan to establish a University of the South Pacific at Laucala Bay, Suva, was an

nounced. A bill to abolish capital punishment, except in special cases, was passed by the Legislative Council; and a bill to provide for a national insurance scheme was introduced.

Early in the month, the 61 ft Auckland sloop Fidelis, skip pered by Jim Devern, took line honours in the 1966 Auckland- Suva yacht race, run by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Auckland. The yacht Roulette, skippered by Fred Andrews, of Auckland, won on corrected times. She took eight days, 15 hours, 47 seconds.

Distress signals were received from the yacht Tatariki three days out of Auckland and fears were held for the safety of the crew when an intensive sea and air search failed to find her. She was eventually sighted by an RNZAF Sunderland, dismasted and drifting helplessly. The crew were later picked up, exhausted but well. Tatariki sank 12 hours later while under tow.

New Hebrides: The two local airlines, New Hebrides Airways and Hebridair, agreed to operate jointly as Air Melanesia for a trial period.

Solomon Islands ; The seventh session of the Legislative Council received a plan for constitutional changes.

Tonga : An ancient tortoise, reputed to have been left at Ha’apai by Captain Cook, died in Nukualofa.

US Trust Territory : Mr. William Norwood was named to replace Mr, M, W. Coding as High Com missioner.

Western Samoa ; One of Poly nesian Airline’s two DC3 aircraft was lost when it apparently disintegrated in the air on May 11.