From The Archives
June 1945
Trans-Pacific Air Services THERE are signs that steps are being taken to resume a Trans-Pacific mail and passenger air service between North America and the South Pacific; and already there are indications of keen competition between British and American air-lines.
The report was current in Sydney, in May, that Qantas, Ltd., the well-known Australian company, was about to send a
survey plane from Sydney to Suva.
Evidently, this report reached Pan- American Airways, which pio neered the service
between Hawaii and Auckland, and was
operating regularly, Honolulu-Canton
Island-Suva-Noumea-Auckland, when war caused the suspension of all civil flying at the end of 1941.
On June 3, the Sydney “Telegraph’s”
New York correspondent reported that PAA would resume the service on a weekly basis in June, and would run a twice-weekly ser vice as soon as planes were available.
This was welcome news to Australians.
Air-mails from USA come regularly to Australia, but there is no return air-mail only slow surface mail - and for this
Australians blame
their blundering
and inefficient Government.
Passenger traffic
between Australia and USA, and Pacific ports in between, is a mat ter of sheer luck
and wild adventure; and any airline which can get in quickly and remedy this state of affairs will be called blessed by the busi ness community.
New Caledonia Interested THE people of this important French Colony have learned with satisfaction that Noumea will be a regular stopping-place on at least one of the trans-Pacific services which Pan-American Airways are plan ning.
We hope to have ready access to both Australia and New Zealand.
A sojourn in one or other of those cool countries is needed occasionally by most people here, if health is to be maintained in an enervating climate, and most travellers are now air-minded.
Just before the Jap war caused the sus pension of the PAA service, PAA sent their hotel manager here, and plans were made for a large modem hotel on a site near Anne Vata beach, it is supposed that that plan, or something similar, will be proceeded with.
Australia's Request to Liberate Ocean Island and Nauru STRONG representations have been made by Australia to Great Britain with the object of having a military force of neces sary strength applied to the task of liberat ing Ocean Island and Nauru.
This was stated by Mr Chiefly, Acting Prime Minister, in answer to a question in the Australian House of Representatives on May 10.
Mr Chiefly said that the Prime Minister, Mr Curtain, had taken the matter up with Great Britain some time ago, and that, as well, the liberation of these islands had been discussed with Mr Churchill during Mr Curtain’s visit to London last year.
It is believed that the British
jovernment dis cussed the matter with the Chiefs of-Staff of the ! Allied Nations, but so far no
reply to
Australia’s request has been received.
(Editorial
NOTE; Nauru and Ocean Island, pre-war, supplied Australasia with virtually all of its superphosphate. Australian farmers at pre sent are receiving barely half of require ments, and food production is suffering accordingly.) ■