NAURU

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 4, 28 February 1944, Page 26

NAURU

A KORERO Report

<c A ll that the Jap. still holds between these two areas (the Gilberts to the Solomons) and which he might use to advantage against us is Nauru Island. All I will say about Nauru is that it is not logical to expect us to permit him to occupy this salient much longer.” These two sentences, from the outline of future Pacific strategy given recently by Rear-Admiral Robert B. Carney, Chief of Staff to Admiral Halsey, focus attention upon a small island which is of particular importance to New Zealand. Situated 26 miles south of the Equator due north from New Zealand and midway between the Gilbert Islands and the Northern Solomons, Nauru has been occupied by the Japanese since August, 1942. They are now using it as an air base, menacing the Allied Forces advancing in the neighbouring island arcs. Until three years ago, when a German raider flying Japanese colours shelled and wrecked the installations, New Zealand and Australia received all their phosphate from Nauru. This was quarried by a Commission representative of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand who had held the island under mandate from the League of Nations since 1920. These three countries shared the export of

phosphate in the proportion of the capita each had contributed to the plant—Great Britain, 42 per cent. ; Australia, 42 per cent. ; and New Zealand, 16 per cent. Since the commencement of operations, however, Great Britain has never required her full quota, while New Zealand has always exceeded hers. In 1940 New Zealand received 404,000 tons, 32-4 per cent, of the total output. Nauru is an oval coral atoil about 31 miles long and 2 J miles wide. With the exception of a narrow fertile coastal belt, the island consists of phosphate deposits overlaying a bed of coral limestone. This forms a central plateau rising in places to 200 ft. A conservative estimate of the phosphate rock available is 84,000,000 tons, equal to 168,000,000 tons of super-phosphate sufficient to top-dress the farms of Australia and New Zealand for many generations. The quality of this phosphate, which comprises four-fifths of the island, is very high, averaging 85-4 per cent, tricalcic phosphate and 3-4 per cent, calcium carbonate. The most spectacular feature of Nauru Island in peace was the elaborate and costly machinery which handled the phosphate rock. All stages of produc-

tion were completely mechanized. From quarrying to loading, through the crushing and drying processes, the rock was carried by cableways, railways, and electric belt conveyors.

The method of loading the phosphate ships was unique, being evolved to suit the local conditions. The island is completely surrounded by a coral reef beyond which the sea-bed slopes sharply down at an angle of 45 degrees to a great depth. It was impossible to build either a harbour or a dock, so in 1930 a cantilever conveyor was constructed at Yangor.

From massive pillars on the coral reef two 172 ft. cantilever arms swung out to

the phosphate ships and electric belt conveyors loaded both fore and after holds simultaneously at the rate of a thousand tons per hour. To-day all this complicated equipment is probably just a mass of twisted steel. The phosphate, however, is still there. When the island is once more in Allied hands exports of this valuable fertilizer will no doubt be resumed as soon as possible. It plays an important part in the farm economy of both New Zealand and Australia. At present shortage of fertilizer is limiting our supply of foodstuff to Great Britain.