A DISQUIETING REPORT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1991, 23 February 1914, Page 4

A DISQUIETING REPORT.

Matheh disquieting news has been received from the jjc* Hebrides problem. The questioti. appears to havo tafceii , a turn •R'hJchj if iho report proves to be corrqefc-j will cause a- good deal o;f tfisap.potntmfcrifc i» this part of the world. The joifit' control of these islands by Britain and France has n.evei? worked satisfactorily, and from time to tmje efforts. have- been ftiado to bring about a better state of things, but so far nothing dot pita has been achieved in this dbeet-ionu The matter has just been referred to in'the Bottsfi of ConSnions,. Mr> AsqtflTK stating that .the OoVeratraant has been informed th*t the condorriiiiium is not working very satisfactorily in rkgai'd , to criminal judgments. -Bo went on to say that negotiations, are proceeding with, France w<ith a view to revising the existing an'angefflen'ts, Tliis an» tiouneement at br&i sight appears to be satisfactory, but subsequent information indicates that the negotiations t referred to ale taking a course which is certainly noii desired t>! these ncoplft who are most dissatisfied with the present position, fheir idca : Was that Frknee should he induced to hand over the entire control o£ tlio Kew Hebrides to Britain in yet-urn for .concessions in some other part of the world, bat a oablegvaia which wo puWjsh in anotluji Geivtmn asserts !hat_ there is a possibility of the eoadominittin bcjsig en<;fcd hy the cession of the islands to France as part of a lar#ei? Settlement with that country. This iirforfflatiflAi,. which is ssid to corns from "'weil-informed." sources, seems to have caused , coosideTabla anxiety to the authorities ol the Presbyterian Church in Australia, who think thai sijeh.a,change would be prejudicial ■to their niissionftry work, tmd that it would not promote the general welfare of the,, .natives. The Ret. FjwXjc P'ATOUi.the foreign mission secretary, is of opinion "that Australian action is imperative in order to prevent the islands passing out of British, csntfol. On'a previous occasion, a rumour that Britain intended to hand OTcr to France hst share in tho government of the Hew was brought under the no* lice of Mb. Cep-K, the Prime Minister of . tho Australian Cftmmonwealth, but he said he had heard nothing to t!\a« effect, and. did net think thCT- v.fis any ground for the le-pwt .Mb. aowevei , , doclwea that his information comes frwft. "an üßimiioaehabla sourcfi"; hut the. fact rofnnins that as recently as last tlie Australian Gov-cruo-r-'Gonqfat received a message from the Secretary- of State for the, Colonies stating explicitly 1 that tho Imperial Gover-pmcnt was sot considering any proposal for allowing the Ncv? Hebrides to Irccoffle a .FM.fi.ch p'ossession.- Fresh developments may hn-vo taken place sinofe then, yet it should b.e borne in njind tMt ■the. Mstralian • Governrofiftt made a difocb request gome tJtne ago that in thft event of any change in tlio adrtitiistration being contemplated the position • and intersts of Australia should Iμ* considered. It is bai'-dly liWy that such an important step as the cessioivof the islands to France would be taljfin without any eortsultation with th« Qovernliietits of Australia, iad Zealantj, Both the Doraipion and the Commoawealth are interested in this mat-

[ t;)i', and public'opinion in this eoun. try , is JUMlouljtcclly in Rcheval agreeineiit with Mr. Cooks declaration that "il, would bu a great- blow to us Cor any oilier Country to obtain sole possession.- of these islands, antl it- intist be -made clear that the- policy Peweif, aftd on the other hand will be empJmtieafly opiio&ed to any atttimpt to code them to a fofplgn p-ttWcT, a.Mti on the other hand'will eftdcavonc to sflciii'e uniform enfovcomcnii a| the deef-ccs of the Joint Court." The jproblora is a (IJ-S-cHit one, for the cxistiftg ai-raivgemc-nt is ee r t-u.ii ly not; working wcil: ;but the Ffciicli iit-e- just as reseluW k their desire for Franco to eowc μ-ndi-vided control as are the Bi-itish residents to seek a settlcmerit by the ■olimimltioii of Ftene'h i-n.fiiteiice, If, however, the Astern of joint contool is to-continue, effective, fflsasitres should b© taScn to placs the admifltetnitson of justice on a mom gatis' fae-tory footing, aad to protect the natives foom uieing ilHtcsted'Aand derntofalised.