The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. A VEXED QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. A VEXED QUESTION

It is now generally admitted that the joint control of the Sfew Hebrides by Britain and France has proved a failure. Constant complaints and official rcgresMiWioiis nave at last convinced the two Governments, conccrned that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs, cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely, and a Commission has, hew) s:?t up to deal with the mattei The friendly relations which ,<ii present exist between France a&d Britain crt" sure that every effort will be made to reach a settlement that wrill bo acceptable to both parties,, but it will not be an easy matter'to reconcile the conflicting interests which have to bo taken into consideration- Both Australia and New Zealand desire to see the New Hebrides 1 brought entirely under British control, but- it is only natural that the French settlers should prefer to hav.; the islands placed under the French flag. Whatever plan of adimnistfaI tion may be substituted i£ is #gteed by both sides, as the fcm.x.v' says, that the present system cannot *l.m maintained. Under existing conditions it is impossible to inetc mtt justice in a satisfactory manner. The judicial methods are cimthrais and complicated. The constitution of the Joint Court makes its procedure almost ludicrous at tim.o.% amfl much soreness has been caused by the different ideas of justice which prevail in the English and French National Courts. British subjects complain that the French Court is esifemcly : lenient in dealing with the shortcomings of Frenchmen, while the law is verystrictly administered to Britishers in the British Court. _4s vcgavds the allegations of ill-treatment of the natives, there is nothing to. be gained by trying to apportion the blame between the English and French settlers. The responsibility must bo thrown _ upon the dual method of administration unlet

[which the _ evils, complained ..of: have | been permitted to continue. ' i It' is much easier-to point, out tho | evils of th« present state of affairs i than to discover the romt'dy. Of j eowyse, it is just possible that the Commission may be .able to improve matters without, abolishing ths Con • : dominium, as the existing system is ■ called l but any attempt to settle the ' question on these lines is not likely to mset with much approval on either side,' and could only be re- ; gar clod as a temporary makeshift ar- [ f&ngemcnt. The oh)y other courses ! open *eo?n to bo complete control either by Britain or France, pr a [ partition of the islands between the two Powers. Australia and New : Zealand would Ire very unwilling to , see tli«_ New Hebrides transferred to a foreign Power,, however friendly, and the Imperial Government has expressly stated that no alteration in the present position will be made ; without consultation with the Governments of the Commonwealth and 1 the Doiiiimoti. In a- timely bpok entitled France amd Bneflmd i-n the A cm- Hebrides, the anther (Mr, EbV/aRS Jieoilft) remarks that "Australia has a military interest that a group of islands which affords two excellent harbours should not be in the ha-nds of a foreign nation." Ths only method of settlement which would meat with the complete approval of ilk? people, of Australasia is that Britain should take absolute control. This would of cdhfsb mean the payment of adequate compensation. Fit-och rights and claims ■ Avoitld have to be bought out, or an equivalent would have to be given. 16 tlio sha.po. of territory in §umo other part of ths _world. The "alternative 1 of the partitioning of the islands' would certainly not bo. an ideal soht-: tion of the difficulty, thottgh it may possibly have to be adopted as tfc only way out acceptable to both par- j ties. There can be fto- donbt ;j how* : wet, that the termination of the' dual system would be a benefit both to the natives, and the European pettlors. Mr. J acquis tells us that it e can never work.' It has fever worked. and it Hewn will work"; and'ho ; believes that British rule will be the i ultimate sohrt-io-B, because the ]oci.e. of geographical and ecouoiaic' cojj'di. tiofts c.n.i only be permanently satis - : fied in that way. . j