Yesterday

Gaol break in Tonga 20 years ago! The kingdom’s two most notorious criminals, Mahe Tupou (the Seadog) and Tupou Ngata (the Tiger), escaped from Matakieua Prison, Tongatapu, and evaded a massive police search. Mahe had escaped three times previously, including once in a crudely-made canoe to Fijis Lau Group, and Ngata had escaped once, during which he sailed to Eua Island m frail canoe. In the latest escape, the pair disappeared in a stolen 14 tt sailing boat.

Other news in PIM, for May, 1950, 20-years-ago, included: The cost of oil search in Dutch and Australian New Guinea was £A27 million so far, Mr. Harold Rabling, managing director of Vacuum Oil Co. of Australia, said. Of this, £7 million had been spent in Papua.

Mr. N. B. Theodore, son of the late Mr. E. G. Theodore, was ap pointed to fill the vacancies on the boards of Emperor Gold Mines Ltd. and Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines NL, caused by his father’s death.

The natives of the Ninigo Islands, west of Manus in the New Guinea Islands, were dying out and losing an interest in life because a tired soil would produce no food. Plantations were deserted and no boats were calling at the group.

American Samoa celebrated 50 years under the US flag. Admiral A.

Radford, Commander of the US Pacific fleet, arrived from Hawaii, and 9,000 locals and Western Samoans took part in dancing, festi vals, singing, school competitions and sports.

Despite a week-long inquest, Mr. B.

Faithorn, Port Moresby coroner, found that Mrs. Mavis Conron, 26, died “from an unknown cause”. She was found unconscious in the grass, 75 yards from her Moresby home, and died in hospital three hours later.

Witnesses said she was a sleep walker. Police said she had stumbled after a fall.

An American cargo vessel of 8,000 tons, Pioneer Glen, went aground on the reef off Port Moresby. She closely followed the Burns Philp Mangold , which grounded nearby. Pioneer Glen was carrying oil drilling equipment. Both ships were refloated soon after grounding.

Seven people got together in the Solomons and formed a Solomon Islands Planters’ and Commercial Association. Members were Messrs.

R. C. Symes, J. C. Hammett, L. F.

Gill, J. A. Johnstone, K. Dalrymple Hay, R. G. Hodge and Father Palmer.

PIM said there were rumours that Tahitian politican, Pouvanaa a Oopa, “had become a member of the Com munist Party”, which was awaiting his arrival in Paris. Oopa had just won the local election to represent French Polynesia, as a deputy in the French Parliament, and, PlM’s correspondent at Papeete said, Oopa

had received support in his election campaign from a communist from overseas.

It was really wet in Rabaul. Rains razed the Methodist Church, unroofed a Colyer Watson store, brought down telephone and power lines and damaged many famous old trees in Mango Avenue. From January I to May 5, 80 inches were reported, and at last count, PlM’s man said, squalls of gale force were continuing.

It was announced in May, 20-years ago, that Midway Island in the central Pacific was to be abandoned by the US Navy, who had built an air-naval station there in time to repel a Japanese attack launched on August 7, 1941. In 1950 the Ameri cans were ready to leave Midway to the gooney birds who formed its only indigenous population—but today the Americans are back, al though what they are doing is largely a mystery.

Midway actually consists of two islands, Eastern (39 ft above sea-level in places) and Sand (only 12 ft above sea level), and they are encircled by a 15-mile reef. It lies 1,300 miles north-west of Honolulu and roughly half-way between the US and Asia mid-way indeed. Note the US Navy installations in this 1950 picture.