FRIENDLY CONTACT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 October 1940, Page 2

FRIENDLY CONTACT

WITH FRENCH OCEANIA. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Steps taken by the New Zealand Government to maintain contact with French Oceania were revealed by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in a statement last night. He said there was no truth whatever in a suggestion that

French Oceania was now practically a British Protectorate under the supervision of New Zealand. The Prime Minister said that as a result of the recent plebiscite held in Tahiti and the consequential change of Government in French Oceania, it had been thought desirable- for the New Zealand Government, acting in this matter on behalf of the other Governments of the British Commonwealth, to make contact with the new Administration. “A representative of the New Zealand Government has accordingly visited Papeete, when he found the new Governor, M. Edmond Mansard, in fice on the appointment of General de Gaulle, assisted by the'-members of the late Governor’s Privy Council, who had been largely responsible for the decision to support the Free French movement,” said Mr Fraser. “The Governor and his advisers appeared to be firmly in control of the situation and to have the support of the great bulk of the population, both French and Polynesian, and their collaboration with the New Zealand representative was most cordial. “It was possible at once to make arrangements for the repatriation to ; France of the late Governor and a few officials with their wives and families, 1 who found themselves unable to sup- '

port the new Administration, and the opportunity was taken for detailed discussions concerning the method of collaboration between the new Administration and the British Commonwealth. The matters so discussed are now the subject of consultation between his Majesty’s. Governments in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Australia, and it is intended that the New Zealand Government, as the closest neighbour of

French Oceania, should maintain con- ' tact with that territory.” The Prime Minister added that what purported to be a report on this mat- ' ter published in a northern newspaper ; contained a number of inaccuracies, • and he particularly emphasised that 1 there was no truth whatever in the 1 suggestion made in that report that French Oceania was now practically a British Protectorate under the super- J vision of New Zealand. “The Admin- ; istration of French Oceania under the authority of General de Gaulle, and through his appointee, Governor Man- 1 sard, is freely and of its own desire s co-operating with the British Common- * wealth in the struggle for freedom in which we are all engaged and is in no c way under the supervision of New 1 Zealand or any other British Govern- s ment,” the Prime Minister concluded. ®