The Month

• FRENCH PACIFIC TERRITORIES Retiring Australian Consul-General in Noumea, Dr Malcolm Leader, speaks to a Tahitian daily about Australian attitudes to France’s Pacific territories, and Helen Fraser reports from Noumea on latest developments in New Caledonia 13, 15 • MIRACLE MEN AT WORK IN TAHITI Marie-Therese and Bengt Danielsson write on the recent doings of two public figures claiming a special relationship with the Deity; a visiting French-Canadian priest who claims to have faith-healing powers, and a home-grown freedom fighter who says God has enjoined him to lead the people of French Polynesia to independence 24 • COCONUTS SPROUT IN THE BIG APPLE Caroline Yacoe writes from New York of a remarkable new wave of interest there in matters relating to the Pacific Islands 17 • AIR NIUGINI TO GET A DUTCH HELPING HAND? Papua New Guinea’s flag-carrier is expected to sign an agreement with KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines under which the latter will provide it with a contract management service 53 • BORDALLO BACK AS GUAM GOVERNOR Mark L. Berg reports on the gubernatorial elections which saw Democrat Ricardo Bordallo displace the Republican incumbent as Governor of Guam 30 • NAURU PRESIDENT’S LIBEL SUIT Michael Leidermann reports from Honolulu on why a judge has rejected a SUS4O million libel claim by President Hammer Deßoburt against the Gannett newspaper chain 29 • THE WHONSBON-ASTON PAPERS First in a series of extracts from the memoirs of one of the most noted clergymen to serve in the South Seas in this century, Archdeacon Charles William Whonsbon-Aston 47 Cover picture: Mrs. Siniva Sosene of Tokelau smiles happily as she holds her pet sea turtle; about the turtle's feelings we're not so sure. George H. Balazs picture.

Australia in the Pacific 13 Books 41 Cook Islands 36 Deaths 65 Fiji 18, 33, 47 France in the Pacific 13 Guam 29, 30 Irian Jaya 31 Islands Press 27 Japan in the Pacific 32 Kiribati 33 Law of the Sea 32 Letters 7 Nauru 29 New Caledonia 19, 19

Palau 21 Papua New Guinea 17, 19, 41, 53 People 37 Political Currents 29 Postmark Papeete 24 Samoas 12,45 Shipping Services 63 Tonga 7, 11 Tradewinds 53 Tropicalities 17 Tuvalu 7 U.S. in the Pacific 12, 17, 33 Vanuatu 29 Yachts 57 Yesterday 47