Islands Which Believe that They Own England

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1932, Page 18

Islands Which Believe that They Own England

Unusual interest was roused, especially in France, by the meeting of M. Edouard Herriot, the French Premier, and the British Home Secretary, Sir Herbert Samuel, in the Channel Islands. Despite official denial that the meeting has any political significance, the French. Press printed columns of speculations, and the Channel Islands were in a ferment of apprehension. Are they to be sold to France in order to get the money to pay England's next instalment of her debt to America? Are their cherished charters threatened—those charters by which the Channel Islands are exempt from most of the burdens borne by post-war Britain, including income tax and tariff duties? (writes Maude Meagher in the "San Francisco Chronicle"). In' Britain the affair was taken more nonchalantly, and the official statemen^ that this was only a friendly meeting of statesmen on holiday was generally believed. -The British reaction, was usually the humorous, comment that so far from there being any chance of England ceding the Channel Islands to France, the chief danger was that the Channel Islands might seize upon the visit of the French Premier as an opportunity to cede England to France! The Channel Islands, it may be explained, stoutly maintain that they do not belong to England; on the contrary, England belongs to them, for they conquered her under their Duke "William of Normandy in 1066.

Guernsey is one of the quaintest of the Channel Isles, only a few hours off the British coast, where the people are staunchly English but speak medieval French. They are intensely loyal to tho English King,' but not as King. George V, like all English monarchs since 1066, is saluted in the Channel Islands as "Our Duke," for he is. to them simply the successor of their own ruler, William Duke of Normandy, under whom they "conquered England." Guernsey was in those days a part of Normandy, and it is not forgotten by the Guernisiaise that the present English aristocracy is proud to date its descent from the" Norman nobles who imposed their rule on Anglo-Saxon England. William's possessions in Normandy proper wore subsequently lost, but the Channel Islands remain, very proud and aloof, keeping their oia customs and language alive and holding fast to the many privileges granted them by William the Conqueror and Queen Elizabeth.

As for France, Guernsey is fairly indifferent to the country from .which she transferred her. affections more

than a thousand years ago. Although the coast of France lies in sight from my window, I should find it hard to get a decent boat to take me there without going first to England. The Guernsey people speak French, but a Frenchman would not understand them. It would be like talking Anglo-Saxon to a modern Englishman. William the Conqueror himself could hardly make himself understood in Paris—but he would still. be quite at home in a Guernsey kitchen. Guernsey French is the ancient language called Languedocil, which was the medieval speech of Northern France (except Brittany),, just as Languedpc was the speech of Southern France.

The island is only nine ■ miles long and about six at its, widest point, but it has over 40,000 prosperous inhabitants. Among them are many that have never seen a railway train, who still believe in witchcraft, and propitiate or ostracise their, local witches (the Vallee de Misere was a dreadful centre for witch burning a couple of centuries ago). Some of the young men joined up eagerly during the war because they thought they were going to fight Jersey, their sister island, which lies in sight to .the south-east.

Contrasted with these are the "classes" (class distinctions are rigidly upheld in Guernsey) who, born in Guernsey ~on estates, held by their ancestors by grants. datiig in some cases from the thirteenth century, nave lived their lives in remote corners of the earth, and have returned, laden with honours, to their birthplace. They have been judges, generals, governors, engineers, -"admirals from China to Zanzibar; .but Guernsey and . the ancient deeds granted-by Stuart or Tudor mdnarcha mark their homes. These arc the people who , consider tho present English Eoyal house newcomers and Eepublican France as a friendly nation to which a certain reserved courtesy is due, no more. '

It was into this atmosphere that the British Home Secretary and the Fronch Ministers came. M. Harriot was careful to explain that he eamc simply to view the Victor Hugo relies on the island. The French Premier is-writing a book about Victor Hugo, who. lived in _ Guernsey for many years after his exile from. France. The statesmen therefore went directly; from the boat to Hauteville- House, in which the French poet ana novelist lived and wrote for twenty-five-years from 1855. His."Toilers of tho Sea" has this island for its' setting," and is full of old Guernsey customs. Ho also wrote "Les Miserables" here,1