Where Britain Is Losing Prestige

France Taking Possession of New Hebrides, at Australia’s Front Door.

Written for the “Pacific Islands Monthly,” by a New Hebrides Planter.

ALTHOUGH this last hurricane (April 7/8, 1933) was of longer duration, the velocity of the wind was not so great as that of February 23, 1932, when every building on this place was flat tened and smashed. On this occasion some of the new buildings stood up, so at least we had a shelter, but after the 1932 “blow” we had not even that. Of course all the thatched-roof buildings again went west, including our tempor ary dwelling house.

Just before midnight on April 7, the house started to rock dangerously, so my wife and I decided to rush for the New Kitchen building, where we sheltered until daylight, and when we looked out the house was flat. I then got to work with the labour, putting more sand bags on the verandahs of the new store build ing, which fortunately stood up and in which we are now domiciled.

This last hurricane, coming as it did, before we, or the coconut palms, had had time to recover from the ravages of the previous one, has had the effect of making us wonder how we can carry on, with no hope of assistance in any shape or form.

We, who are under the British flag in this group, have given up hope of any governmental assistance in any way, as has been meted out to our French neighbours, so it is just a case of try ing to hang on until things grow again.

There has been a lot written lately about the administration of different groups of islands; but if New Hebrides is a fair sample of British administra tion, then the sooner the islands are handed over to some European Power which might take an interest in the development and settlement of them, the better for all concerned.

To maintain a staff of officials in the New Hebrides must cost the admit

tedly impoverished Exchequer of Great Britain quite a tidy sum. For all the assistance they give to the few British settlers left in this group, that sum could quite easily be saved and spent on a more worthy cause. However, it is plain to see that Britain is not interested in the development of this group, otherwise she would not sit idly by and see this rich territory drift slowly, but surely, into the complete control of the French.

But what about Australia and her numerous politicians? Are they too busy inside, petty quarrelling and job seeking, to heed the knocking at the front door of their richest coastline?

Surely they are not blind to the evi dence of recent happenings and must know that some Asiatics will find an outlet for their teeming millions ere long. Yet Australians seem content to squabble away inside, among their groups of politicians. They may have tacked up their windows, but they seem content to leave their doors wide open to any burglar that happens along.

As far as the Commonwealth land claims in this group go, I could not do better than refer to the splendid article printed in the “P.I.M.” of 26/1/32, which is accurate and to the point, and should have the effect of waking up some one in authority to the fact that such a place as New Hebrides does exist, and that it is too near Australia’s front door to be ignored.

Britain is certainly losing prestige and ground by misadministration in this group, as is proven by the migration of British residents. The disabilities under which British residents suffer are many —in fact, so many, that in most cases where they have been able to sell out to French interests, they have done so,

and got out. This, in itself, speaks vol umes against British Administration in this group.

If a job is worth doing at all, surely it is worth doing well.