Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1901. THE SOUTHERN CROSS ON SOUTHERN SEAS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 May 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1901. THE SOUTHERN CROSS ON SOUTHERN SEAS.

In the near future the South Pacific Islands will occupy a good deal more attention than they have in the past. With the birth of Australia as a nation, combined with the forward action of New Zealand, Britain must take a firmer stand in regard to foreign annexation, if she does not desire to lose much of the loyalty and sympathy that now exists in these colonies. In regard to France something will have to be done. In North America over the fisheries' rights* serious difficulties have occurred, and Britain now realises that French rights must be bought out or otherwise disposed of. And in like manner Australia and New Zealand will not be satisfied with a protest of the firmest character to an avowedly hostile power annexing the islands in the South Pacific. Already we have evidence of British settlers being "dispersed by the French in the New Hebrides, a late telegram from Sydney stating that news has just been received from the New Hebrides that the French colonisation scheme is being vigorously prosecuted by them. By the last trip of the s.s. La Perouse another six French settlers arrived on Epi, New Hebrides, and, emboldened by the recent action of the Joint Commission in ratifying French land claims as against the natives, and refusing, as ultra vires, to consider British claims, these last settlers have taken up their quarters on Messrs Swallow and Tmmble's land, have ordered Mr Swallow to pull down his house, and one day all six of them are reported to have personally assaulted Mr Swa'low." The warships composing the Joint Commission were to meet at Epi at the end of last month. What attitude will they take ? That is the question. If British claims are ignored, there will be ill feeling, and ill feeling often leads to tension, and tension to war. Britain cannot afford to ignore the voice of 6,000,000 colonists in Australia and New Zealand, and if she was prepared to fight over the Fashoda affair would surely be prepared to accept the challenge when her colonies call on her for protection. As showing that France is persistently prosecuting her colonising scheme —such as it is—in these seas, we may quote a statement which has been circulated, and is a translation of a French State paper which describes how the island of Rarutu was taken possession of by the Governor of New Caledonia on behalf of the French Government. M. Gallet went down to the New Hebrides Group in tho corvette Aube, and did his annexing with the sound of trumpet and many big guns, as is 0

usual on such occasions. The important point is that he did it under a statute enabling the President to empower, by decree the Governor to do many things of this kind. The primary object was to put the French into the same position as the English in the Western Pacific Islands. The difference was one of organisation. We did not govern anybody but our own subjects, but the High Commissioner's power towards them was sufficient. The result was not only that they were kept in order, but that they preserved their civil existence as British subjects intact. The French, on I the other hand, were neither kept in j order nor enabled to preserve their j civilised existence as subjects of the Republic which had no sway in those islands. The result was that last year the French Legislature empowered the President of the Republic to establish, by decree, for French subjects in the Western Pacific the same system which has flourished so long under Orders-in-Council for the subjects of Great Britain. The Governor of New Caledonia is the first French High Commissioner under the system. It is a little disquieting to find that his first act has been one of annexation. Now is the time for action. Australia must adopt a South Pacific policy similar to the Munro doctine in the United States of America, and emphatically declare that the Union Jack and the Southern Cross alone shall wave over the islands. We do not want the Military Powers of Europe hamping our future and proving a menace to our peaceful dominion in these seas, and we have a right to look to the Mother Country to guard us in this respect.