Nutshell

In a Nutshell

GRIM NEST. Everyone on farawa in the Gilberts, scene of one ►f World War IPs bloodiest battles, bought all the war-dead had been ecovered. That was until the end of darch when workers, building foun lations for the new Lands and Survey iffice, unearthed a Japanese machine un nest. Around the remains of the un, which seemed to have received direct hit, were six skeletons. Also ound in the hole were a helmet, a word and an automatic rifle. The lachine gun post was next to the unker headquarters of the Japanese ommander, Rear Admiral Shibasaki. he Japanese War Graves Commis on has been told of the discovery.

Uncovering Nauruan His

ORY.—A relic of Nauruan history as uncovered recently during tcavation work on the airstrip. As a ench was being dug opposite the Iministration buildings, part of an !d German gaol was discovered. It is flieved that the gaol was built be >re World War I and was later veiled by the Japanese during World T ar II to make way for an airstrip, he excavating team also came upon e skeletal remains of a human body, it it is believed the remains are in ) way connected with the old gaol, ttempts are being made to determine e nationality of the remains.

MEN’S LlB.—John Wal, of Mount agen, had a wife all ready and wait g for him, but he didn’t want to arry. His intended wife had been tosen for him by his father but hn said “no”. His “jilted” father, al Ropa, a Mount Hagen court was Id in March, was so enraged at his n’s refusal that he attacked him. ;lling Wal Ropa that marriages uld not be forced, the magistrate leased him on a good behaviour md for six months. $350,000 SYMBOL.—Korea House, two-storey building erected by the >rea Marine Industry Development )rporation in Pago Pago as a :reation centre for Korean fisher m based on American Samoa, was remonially opened on March 30. has been built, mainly by the hermen themselves, at a cost of

$350,000. Described as a “symbol of friendship between the people of Samoa and South Korea”, the building, housing a restaurant, bar, recreation areas, and gift shop, is closed to Samoans with the exception of the gift shop. Anyone can buy the Korean-made articles.

Taken By Shark.—A 26-Year-

old American Peace Corps worker, Alan Banner, who was in Western Samoa doing research into turtles, was taken by a shark on April 17.

Companions with him in the water saw what appeared to be an 18 ft White Pointer shark seize him and drag him into deep water. His body

has not been found. Mr. Banner, a graduate of Oberlin College, Ohio, spent two years in Fiji, WAR RELlCS?—Rumours that World War II Japanese servicemen are hiding on St. Jorge Island in the Solomons’ Ysabel group will be probed by a four-man team which has arrived in the Solomons. The team, from the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, will make documentary films about the war.

NAVY IN BSI.—A Royal Navy survey vessel, HMS Hydra, arrived in the Solomons mid-April to carry out survey work during the next three to

five months. Hydra will be charting : the access into the Solomons through the Bougainville Strait. Crew mem-1 bers will establish some land stations]; on the northern coast of Vella Lavella and on the southern coast of 1 Choiseul. Hydra has 14 officers and! 104 ratings and carries a Wasp heli4 copter.

Grateful India. Because!

Tonga took the lead among Pacific* nations in recognising Bangladesh independence, India is offering to in crease her aid to the kingdom and by April’s end her promises were paying off. Tongan students have; been granted scholarships to study engineering in India and Mr. Viliami Fukofuka, a Tongan education officer! has gone to India for a course in management and administration. An expert in the cottage industry field is. in Tonga from India to advise on the; most suitable industries for Tonga. I

Asopa In Action. Ninety

PNG public servants have arrived in Sydney for an eight-months’ training: course at the Australian School of Pacific Administration at Mosman..

They arrived on a special flight andl return in December. Sixty are taking: a public service higher certificate: course. This is the first large group: from PNG to begin training at ASOPA since the switching of the: school’s role from training Australians; for PNG and Northern Territory ser vice to training Papuans and New Guineans for service at home.

WET WALKATHON.—For every minute of every foot of a seven-mile walk on Norfolk Island one Sunday in April it rained but the walkers* wives, mothers, children, two men; and a dog didn’t care. Each foot of the way meant more money for the island’s Wives and Mothers’ Club.

The walk, sponsored at so much a mile, raised $1,145 for the club: building fund.

Bigger Mangoes.—In An

effort to improve Tonga’s mangoes, King Taufa’ahau has imported a news species from Papua New Guinea.

Eleven specimens, measuring about 81 inches long with a diameter of 31 inches, were flown from Rabaul and taken to the palace. The fruit will be planted to see how the species likes Tongan soil.

For Retirement.—The Solo

mon Islands will have a national pro vident fund, probably run on the sam<| lines as the successful project which has been going in Fiji for the last five

'ears. A bill to establish such a fund las been drafted and is being studied >efore submission to the Governing Council for approval. The blue-print or the fund has been drawn by Mr. . Robinson, manager of the Fiji Tovident Fund, who was in the womens last June. The fund provides or compulsory contributions from mployers and a lump sum payment ) employees on retirement.

Islanders’ Togetherness,

-Members of various Island groups ving in New Zealand met at the onsonby Community Centre in aickland in April and formed the acific Islanders’ (NZ) Association hich is aimed at uniting Polynesian roups in New Zealand and estab-

lishing an education foundation fund, The draft constitution restricts mem bership to Pacific Islanders and Maoris and “all who have the interests of the Pacific Islanders at heart.” Mr.

M. Fonoti, president of the Progressive Samoan Association, the acting chair man, said they wanted an association which would speak with one voice for the Islanders.

Tough On Drlvers.—They’Re

getting tough on careless and speed ing vehicle drivers in American Samoa. At one court hearing three drivers were suspended for varying periods, one for two years for speed ing and seven were fined for traffic violations. The Commerce Commis sion got into the act by announcing that all taxi and commercial bus

drivers with three or more convictions for speeding or two or more convic tions for reckless or drunk driving within five years would have their licences revoked. It suited action to its words by revoking two licences.

Twelve more are in the balance.

LONG ROW ENDS—British ad venturers John Fairfax and Sylvia Cook ended their long boat row across the Pacific from America to Australia on April 22 when they landed on Hayman Island on the Great Barrier Reef. They survived two cyclones and a shark attack. Fairfax was bitten on the arm by a shark. The couple have flown back to England.