‘Making New Hebrides A Nation’

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30962, 19 January 1966, Page 17

‘Making New Hebrides A Nation ’

f.V Z.P A -Reuter—Copyright) VILA (New Hebrides), January 18. The political future of the New Hebrides is certain to be fraught with more than the ordinary complications that attend the evolution of backward colonial territories, the “New York Times” news service reported. At the core is the status of this little South Seas archipelago as a French-British condominium, a status that gives the New Hebrideans two colonial rulers. This means possibly divergent policies on future political development. It also means that some of the 65.000 New Hebrideans are being taught English and some French, that they are being influenced by two Western cultures and two kinds of administration. that they have three currencies francs, pounds sterling and Australian pounds, and that they have no citizenship.

France and Britain originally took control of the New Hebrides as a zone of mutual influence without declaring separate or joint sovereigntyover the islands. The handful of New Hebrideans who have travelled

abroad have been given “certificates of origin” as travel documents. Developing into a nation — if it turns out the new Hebrideans want to be a nation—will obviously not be easy. The New Hebrides is on the list of dependent territories about which the African. Asian and Communist members of the United Nations are promoting resolutions demanding early selfdetermination. In principle, neither Britain nor France accepts the right of the United Nations to decide developments in their colonies, but both are nevertheless sensitive to United Nations attitudes and pressures. Neither Britain nor France has made any specific declaration of future intentions with regard to the New Hebrides.

But Britain’s general programme of decolonisation, together with the absence of any appreciable advantages to her from South Pacific dependencies. is evidence of a readiness to bow out of both the New Hebrides and the neighbouring all-British Solomons Islands as soon as possible Britain has bracketed her responsibility for the two island groups by putting them

under the authority of a High Commissioner based in Honiara. the Solomons’ capital. There are Australian but very little British trade and business interests in the New Hebrides. The islands are of strategic importance to Australia and New Zealand but not directly to England. Thus they are a drain on the London Exchequer. Since France, with a largescale nuclear testing installation in Polynesia and profitable nickel mines in New

Caledonia, has a bigger and more direct stake in the South Pacific than Britain, it is possible that Paris might be

more interested in retaining some sort of position in the New Hebrides.

French administration in the islands at present is exercised under a High Commissioner in Noumea. Members of the Condominium Advisory Council of Hebrideans and Europeans, at its last two sessions, have asked

for a declaration from British and French Governments regarding their intentions toward the territory. The council was told by the two resident commissioners that

matter is under consideration 'in London and Paris.

The basis for the request was not nationalistic. The questioners pointed out that uncertainty regardinc the future was discouragir. capital investments in the territory. Since they have no common language of their own except inadequate Pidgin English, the New Hebrideans of the future will presumably have both French and English as national languages. But making everyone conversant with both will be a task. Working out a form of in-

ternal administration that integrates French and British practices will be another tedious job.

The nationality question is another that is now up for consideration in London and

Paris. One solution envisaged is dual nationality with passports that carry the stamp of both Britain and France. At the moment none of these problems is troubling the majority of New Hebrideans.

In a land where livelihood is easy, their interests rarely extend beyond the next village and the price of copra. Whether they eventually become independent or not

they will continue to need the protection of a bigger power.