NEW HEBRIDES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 58, 2 December 1926, Page 11

NEW HEBRIDES

THE FRANCO-BRITISH CONDOMINIUM LITTLE HOPE OF IMMEDIATE ; CHANGE OPINION IN DIPLOMATIC j QUARTERS Although the Imperial Con. ference discussed the New Hebrides Condominium, diplomatic quarters do not hold out much hope of an immediate change in the situation. Bl TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Copyright. London, November 30. Although the Imperial Conference discussed the New Hebrides Condomin- , ium, diplomatic quarters are unable to hold out much hope of an immediate change in the long-standing situation, j All advances regarding the abolition of ’ dual control continue to come from Great Britain, with France not showing any particular inclination to accede to ■ such requests. As a matter of fact, the New Heb- | rides seem to be in the unfortunate position of being nobody’s particular I baby. Although Australia and New j Zealand have been responsible for stim- . ulating negotiations they have not an official interest as the New Hebrides ‘ are pur.ely a Franco-British Condominium. Nevertheless, Whitehall is probably less interested than Australia or New Zealand, and only the latter’s agi- i tation caused the Colonial Office to : move.

Thus far, tentative proposals for * | solution have been confined to the na- 1 ture of the territorial division of the I New Hebrides, allowing the French and British each to fully control their own , portion, but France’s reply summed-up , is: “Our interests there are too great. . We are more or less satisfied with the ( present position.” It is unfortunately true that French interests, particularly trade, are cer- ! tainly dominant, therefore they would have less to gain by subdivision than . i Great Britain. . ' The Imperial Conference’s discus- . sions seem to have been devoted more to ondemnation of the present anom- ; aly than a practical solution. The Conference certainly did not give the Con- ( dominium anything like full marks, but Whitehall knew that already Great Britain regards the New Hebrides as a drop in the bucket compared with thousands of vastly more important FrancoBritish questions, and certainly has no intention of allowing the problem in the slightest degree to disturb FrancoBritish* accord. Australia and New Zealand will have to make the pace if any- 1 thing is to be done. It is said that the diplomatic auth- ‘ critics always recognised that the New Hebrides agitation comes from Australia and New Zealand, and, there again, is mainly due to missionaries’ represen-. ,

tations. While it is recognised that the mis- , sionaries have been the pioneers in Brit- ( ish settlement in the New Hebrides, it is unfortunate if Whitehall is suspic- > ions that, their agitation sometmes emanates from a religious rather than a national viewpoint.—Sydney Sun Cable. ;