GLOOMY PAPUA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24346, 7 August 1942, Page 3

GLOOMY PAPUA

FORBIDDING COUNTRY DIFFICULT JUNGLE TRACKS (Special Australian Correspondent) SYDNEY, July «0 Buna, in the vicinity of which the Japanese made their landing in Papua, is a small Government station with a residency and two trade stores. It is northern terminus of a track leading over the inland ranges to Port Moresby. For the first 60 miles the track is fairly easy over level country. Ivokoda is the first settlement reached, 60 miles away, the only natural obstacles being the wide, rapidflowing Kumusi liiver, which is crossed by a wire suspension bridge (easily destroyed), and a perpendicular hill some 800 ft. high just beyond the river. This region, tho Sangara district, is thickly populated and tho natives have been friendly and loyal to the whites. The track from Buna to Kokoda is impassable to vehicles after the first 26 miles. Gorges, Heights and Jungle From Kokoda, immediately on tho northern side of the Owen Stanley Range, to Port Moresby is a most difficult foot journey of another 60 miles. Great gorges, high mountains, and dense jungle make travel via the 7000foot pass, known as Hell's Gap, most difficult.

Gona is about eight miles north along the coast from Buna. It has a hospital and mission station in the charge of a New South Wales Anglican minister, the Rev. James Benson. fc The secretary of tho Australian Anglican Board of Missions, the Rev. M. A. Warren, says: "I am sure Benson is still there. He would remain at the mission, Japanese or no Japanese." Normally two Australian women are at Gona as hospital nurses, but it is believed they have moved inland to Sangara. Ambasi, near Gona, is a mission station in the charge of native missionaries. Biggest of the mission stations in Northern Papua is Marnba, in the charge of Ven. Archdeacon Romney Maurice Gill. The Mambero River, as well as the Kumusi River, flows through the territory. It begins as a turbulent stream high in the ranges and broadens to a navigable waterway 300 yards wide at its mouth. Light "craft can travel as far as lonia-, a small Government station, centre for a goldfield and newer rubber plantations. Port Moresby itself, cornerstone of the defences flanking Australia's east coast, is described as "not tropically dank, but droughtily dry at this time of year." The jungle stops several miles from the coast, and the town lies at the foot of baro hills. The harbour is a fine one. Beyond the port hills rises the Owen Stanley Range, with clouds perpetually covering tho lofty peaks of this "roof of Papua." Papua itself is written of as "a strange, gloomy, equatorial land, rainsoaked, with mountains which sneer at settlers and defy tho builders of roads." BUNA AND GONA DEFENCE IMPRACTICABLE ARMY VIEW OF POSITION (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 0 The Owen Stanley Range, rising almost 14,000 ft., is the Allied defence lino against the Japanese land thrust in Papua, which began with the enemy landing in the Buna-Gona sector. Any Allied garrison stationed at Buna or Gona would have been doomed in the face of a serious attack, the official spokesman at Allied Headquarters told war correspondents to-day. The spokesman was replying to questions by correspondents on Allied defence policy in New Guinea, and why the Buna-Gona sector was not defended by Allied troops. He said tho mountain range was "almost impassable." With tlio enemy in partial control of the northern New Guinea coast and in control of tho sea lanes from Rabaul, it would have been impossible to defend an advanced position at Buna and Gona without sacrificing the troops involved. "They could be supplied in the main only from the sea, with little hope of success," said the spokesman, "and any garrison there would undoubtedly have been overwhelmed in case of a serious attack. No special threat exists in its occupation by the enemy. The establishment of an air baso there would be difficult in the face of our air opposition." ENEMY OVER ENGLAND GIRLS AID DEFENDERS (Reed. G.lo p.m.l LONDON, Aug. O A few enemy bombers were reported over England during the night. In East Anglia streets were machine-gunned, but there were no casualties, and no damage was caused. Two enemy fighters dropped bombs on tho West of England last night. Slight damage was dono and a few casualties resulted. In a recent raid on England girls of tho Auxiliary Territorial Service in anti-aircraft batteries helped to bring down three raiders. The girls who work in these batteries are all aged between 18 and 27.