DOMINION NEWS A WARTIME RADIO SECRET REVEALED

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1946, Page 9

DOMINION NEWS A WARTIME RADIO SECRET REVEALED

First details of a naval wireless and telegraph station, which was established in the Waiouru Plains in 1942, and which handled administrative traffic for the British Pacific Fleet operating off Japan, in the latter stages of the war, were released in Wellington yesterday. The aerial system of the station covers 20 acres, and. at the height of its activity there were about 150 personnel stationed there, of whom two-thirds were Wrens. This number has now been reduced to 70 naval men, practically all of whom are in the permanent service. The station communicates with the Admiralty in London, the Australian Naval Board, the Canadian Naval Service Headquarters at Honolulu, and all warships in the South Pacific. It also shares the radio communication of merchant shipping with Post and Telegraph radio stations at Wellington and Awarua. No official announcement has yet been made as to whether or not the station will be permanent. It is still carrying on work which it did during the war, although on a reduced scale.—(P.A.)

Help Offered to Niuafoou. “The New Zealand Government has offered help to Niuafoou, in the Tongan group, where an eruption has occurred,” said the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones). On receipt of advice of the eruption a message was dispatched to Sir Alexander Grantham, High Commissioner' for the Western Pacific, offering every assistance, and expressing willingness to send H.M.N.Z.S. Arbutus if required for. relief purposes,' said Mr. Jones. —(P.A.)

Medical Stores for Port Fremantle. Reporting that three men were now >ll yzith pneumonia in the Port Line motor-ship Port Fremantle, but that they were in a satisfactory condition,, the master of the ship, Captain Rhind, advised the Auckland agents that the ship would arrive off Cape Brett at 5 o’clock this afternoon. Representatives of the company will go from Auckland to Paihai to-day, and travel by launch to Cape Brett, carrying a supply of medical stores and equipment ordered by the ship. After the material has been transferred the Port Fremantle will resume her voyage from New York to Brisbane.— tP.A.)

Saturday Racing. A 'decision to protest to the Government against the holding of race meetings on Saturdays was made at the annual' meeting in Christchurch last evening of delegates to the Canterbury Cricket Association. In introducing the subject, the president, Mr. R. H. North, said that Saturday racing affected them a good deal. Ihe Government, in words at any Tate, was very keen to solve the problem ol youth and child delinquency, Mr. North said. However, it was not much use saying that if it did not encourage the playing of games on Saturdays. If the Government said that, and robbed them of potential cricketers by allowing race meetings to be held every Saturday, it was not good enough, and the Government was not sincere. It was decided to protest, to the Government through the Now Zealand Cricket Council.