HENCE PAGO PAGO

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 5

HENCE PAGO PAGO

■Why is Pago Pago really Pango Pango? Edward Small, motion picture producer who recently completed filming of ‘ South of Pago Pago,’ demanded an answer when his dialogue experts assured him that although the common, spelling of the little spot iu the South Seas is Pago Pago, it must he 'pronounced Pango Pango. It appears that early in the last century’, when the missionaries invaded the romantic South Seas, they were confronted with the problem, of translating native words into English for purposes of conversation. In all instances, they preserved native proper names and simply gave them the English spelling that sounded correct. Thus Pango Pango got its name. Rut the missionaries who landed on that island spot, like those who wont to other islands, brought with them a printing press. When the very crude printing shop was set up, it was discovered that the package containing the “ N ” letters had been lost, probably dropped in the ocean; as it was no easy task to land from the ship and through the surf in small boats. So in printing literature pertaining to the spot, and in making the first printed maps, the place was labelled “ Pago Pago.” Later, when more type arrived, attempts were made to change the name to “Pango Pango,” but tiio first .spelling, probably because it was more simple, continued in common use, although the pronunciation always remained “ Pango Pango.” ’File principal romantic role, that of a young island chief, is played by .lon Hall, last seen in ‘ The Hurricane.’