support for their ships

Nauruans want islands' support for their ships

Nauru in Suva repeated the appeal it had made at last year's conference in Noumea—that is, that delegates “must be under no illusion that Nauru has solved its problems”.

Mr. Kinza Clodumar told the Suva delegates that, “in a bitter, ironic way, as the mining of Nauru phosphate continues, so Nauru’s problems increase proportionately”.

The mining left exposed coral pinnacles and Nauru was looking for ways of rehabilitating these workedout lands economically.

Nauru also had the problem of selling phosphate. Pacific territories could help themselves and Nauru by developing the market for phosphate and fertilisers. Fiji was an example whose resources could be developed with the use of phosphate.

But Nauru’s phosphate would eventually be exhausted, and Mr.

Clodumar said Nauru, in pursuing

ways of obtaining similar export in come, has started a national shipping line, with three ships at present and a fourth one expected some time next year.

Nauru hoped that South Pacific territories would use the Nauru ship ping service. “As we expand we hope that the territories will give us first priority,” Mr. Clodumar said. He added that Nauru had looked to the neighbouring islands of the Gilbert and Ellice, Fiji, the Micronesian trust territory and Tonga to provide it with men to man Nauruan ships, “and in this regard we feel we are contributing to the development, not only of ourselves, but of our island neighbours.”