NEW HEBRIDES CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1926, Page 9

NEW HEBRIDES CONTROL

THE CONDOMINIUM MUDDLI NO SIGN OF SETTLEMENT MOVE LEFT TO DOMINIONS By Telegraph— Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Nov. 30. Although the Imperial Conferenw d'is* cussed the New Hebrides condominium, diplomatic quarters are unable to hold out much hope for an immediate change in the long-standing situation. All the advances regarding the abolition of dual control will continue to come from Britain, with Franco not showing any particular inclination to accede to such requests. As a matter of faet the New Hebrides seem to be in the unfortunate position of being nobody’s ’particular baby. Although Australia and New Zealand have been responsible for stimulating the negotiations they have no official interest, as the New Hebrides ■ is purely a Franco-British condominium. Nevertheless Whitehall is probably less interested than Australia and New Zealand. Only the agitation by the latter- has caused the Colonial Office to move. Thus far the tentative proposals for a solution have been confined to the suggestion of a territorial division of the New Hebrides, allowing France and Britain each fully to control her own portion, but France’s reply is summed up: “Our interests there are too great. Wo are more or less satisfied with the present position. It is unfortunately true that French interests, particularly in trade, are dominant, therefore she would have less to gain by a subdivision than Britain.” Tire Imperial Conference’s discussions seem to have been devoted more to a, condemnation of the present anomaly than a pratical solution. The conference certainly did not give the condominium anything like full marks, but Whitehall knew that already. Britain regards the New Hecrides as a drop in the bucket compared with the thousands of vastly more important FrancoBritish questions and there is certainly no intention of allowing the problem in the slightest degree to disturb the Franco-British accord. “Australia and New Zealand will have to make the pace if anything is going to be done,” said a diplomatic authority.” It has always been recognised that tiro New Hebrides agitation comes from Australia and New Zealand, and it is again mainly due to the representations of the missionaries. While it is recognised that the missionaries have been the pioneers of settlement in the New Hebrides it is unfortunate that Whitehall is suspicious of their agitation, which sometimes emanates from a religious rather than a national viewpoint.”