"Citizens" & "Subjects"

Curious Position of French Oceania Natives

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Feb. 26.

'T'HE law relative to the recruitment of * natives of French Oceania for labour service outside the colony, promulgated in July, 1936, has been revised.

It reads now as follows:—“All engage ment of subjects of France for enter prises or exploitations situated on foreign territories, is prohibited. The organisa tion of stations of recruitment of native labourers for the colonies or foreign lands, wherever they may be, is inter dicted in the colony.”

The earlier law was so worded that the prohibition included citizens. It is now changed to apply only to subjects.

The rather curious condition existing in French Oceania divides the native inhabitants into citizens and subjects.

The inhabitants of Tahiti, Moorea, and the Tuamotu Archipelago, are citizens of France. The natives of the Leeward Society Islands, Austral Islands, and Marquesas Islands, not having been ad mitted to the privilege of citizenship, are classed as subjects.