Strange, Unexplained

Arrests In

Tahiti

Governor and High Offi cials Made Prisoners in Strange, Unexplained Developments

POLITICAL events of an extraordinary character have been reported from the Free French Colony of Tahiti.

Commandant Richard Brunot (who came to the South Pacific early this year as the envoy of the Free French Leader, General de Gaulle, and who apparently exercises supreme authority in New Cale donia, New Hebrides and French Ocea nia) placed the Governor of Tahiti and other high officials under arrest, in July.

There has been little said about politi cal affairs in Tahiti during the past year, but here is the sequence of events so far as we know them.

When France collapsed in June, 1940, French Oceania, isolated in the south east Pacific, was like a ship without a commander or rudder, and for a few weeks it just drifted. The attitude of the official French appeared to be that, as France now was under Germany’s heel, it would not be long before her ally, Britain, also would be conquered, and that, therefore, we had better make the best of it together.

However, Britain kept on fighting, and General de Gaulle began to rally the Free French. Henri Sautot, then French Resident Commissioner in Vila, declared for Free France on July 18. 1940, and others of the more isolated French Colo nies followed his lead.

Monsieur Chastenet de Gery still was Governor of Tahiti in July, 1940, and the Tahiti civilian population apparently was in favour of de Gaulle. A small clique of aggressive Fascists among the high French officials, however, fought hard to keep Tahiti for Vichy France. Finally, in mid-August, a plebiscite of the people was taken, and the result was: For Gen eral de Gaulle, 5,564; for Vichy Prance, 18.

Thereupon Governor de Gery resigned and departed, and three members of the Privy Council, in accordance with a request from General de Gaulle on Sep tember 7, temporarily carried on the Government.

In September, the pro-Vichy Governor of New Caledonia was deposed and on September 19 Henri Sautot arrived from the New Hebrides and was installed as Free France Governor. He was also High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, which gave him authority over the New Hebrides and French Oceania.

IN September, Edmond Mansard (an old comrade-in-arms of General de Gaulle) who then was a resident of Tahiti, was officially appointed Governor.

But he held the office for only a few weeks 'and it was announced late in November that Dr. de Curton had been appointed Governor of French Oceania, on the nomination of M. Mansard and other members of the Tahiti Govern ment. M. Mansard said: “Dr. de Curton is energetic and courageous and must succeed—give him your confidence.”

There were indications in October and November that a Fascist clique was very busy in Tahiti. Citizens formed a “Com mittee of Free France” and the Fascists were cleaned up in no uncertain fashion, and some were deported.

Early in 1941, some reports from Tahiti indicated quiet and harmony under Governor de Curton. Other reports hinted at bitter, underground, anti- British propaganda.

All possible economic help was given Tahiti by Britain —mostly through the New Zealand Government.

LATER in 1941, there came an extraor dinary and, as yet, unexplained series of events.

In March, there arrived in Auckland Commandant Richard Brunot, described as “Free French Governor-General in the Pacific, appointed by General de Gaulle”. He was accompanied by his wife, by Captain L. Fatoux (aide de camp) and Commander J. Gilbert.

They were feted in Auckland. In April, they proceeded by flying-boat to Noumea, where they remained for some weeks, and apparently conditions there were harmonious.

They left Noumea on May 22 for Auck land, and in June they proceeded by Matson liner to Tahiti. Then things began to happen.

The following is a translation of an article which was published in “Bulletin du Commerce”, Noumea, on July 2:— Mons. Brunet (former General Secretary at Noumea and lately head of the General Adminis trative Service at Tahiti) has vacated his posi tion, declaring that he refuses to serve the Government of that colony. Holder of a for bidden weapon, Mons. Brunet menaced the re presentatives of local authority. He was sus pended without pay, and placed under military guard. Mons. Lemonnier, third-class adminis trator, has been nominated to replace Mons.

Brunet.

Mons. Pailloux Rene, first-class assistant of the civil service, whose attitude was considered to menace the security of the Government of Free France at Tahiti, and whose declaration constituted a refusal to service, has been sus pended without pay and placed under military guard.

Medical Officer Mille Roger, Papeete medical centre, has been suspended without pay. This officer has never ceased, not only to conduct open propaganda against the Governments of Free Prance and Great Britain, but has refused to affirm his service, despite his previous de clarations. He has been placed under military guard. Medical Officer Maurisset has replaced Medical Officer Mille Roger as resident doctor at the Papeete Maternity Hospital, Lleuts. Medical Officers Fagot and Foucard, and Medical Officer Rosmordue, have refused to continue their duties at Papeete.

The Government has resolved to continue the services of 10 officials who had been denounced by the Vichy authority.

The attitude of certain medical officers has been a painful surprise to Tahitians. These of ficers had a duty to fulfil—that of continuing to serve France in one of her territories, over which the tri-colour still floats and where the population have unceasingly shown their con tinued devotion to an unhappy Motherland. A French doctor’s duty is twofold —to humanity and to Prance —and these medical officers should have remained at their posts.

IT is not clear, from this, whether these dramatic events occurred just before, or after, the arrival in Tahiti of Commandant Brunot.

However, more startling things were to come. It was reported in Noumea on July 26 that Commandant Brunot, “Free French Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific”, had ordered the arrest, “follow ing certain incidents”, of:— CAPTAIN DE CURTON, Governor of Tahiti.

M. DELAGE. aide to Governor de Curton.

M. SENAC, Adminstrator of the Tua motu Islands.

CAPTAIN RAVEL, commander of the Tahiti garrison.

M. Lemmonier.

Three Tahitian functionaries.

CAPTAIN L. FATOUX, Commandant Brunot’s own aide.

It was announced that Commandant Brunot would act, for the present, as Governor of Tahiti.

That is all that is known in Australia of events in Tahiti. One may make sur mises about the operations of Fifth Col umnists, and so on. But it may be found, eventually, that there is some connection between Tahiti developments, the occupation of Syria, and the new alliance between Britain and the Soviet.

Meanwhile, here is a note from Nou mea about Captain Fatoux, written before Fatoux was arrested;— The aide-de-camp and interpreter attached to the Brunot Mission, Captain Fatoux, who dis tinguished himself by blowing up a bridge on the Loire during the German advance (being wounded in the ear while doing so), and who afterwards adventurously escaped to England, is not returning here from Tahiti with the Governor-General Brunot. Instead, he is tak ing the road to London. His talks to the men and women of New Caledonia on the causes of the collapse of France and his praise of the British war effort and stoicism made a pro found impression during his stay here.

That does not read as if Captain Fatoux were a Fifth Columnist. rpHE following, published in the Nou- JL mea newspaper on July 16, refers to a few officials, who have been placed under military guard in New Caledonia: — “The enemies of the Free French Gov ernment who were interned at the East Camp have been transferred to a new internment camp at Freycinet, except MM. Triare and Erhart, who are the objects of court proceedings.”

New “High Commissioner”

This press message from London, pub lished in Sydney on August 8, only “makes confusion worse confounded”:— “Free French headquarters announce that Captain Thierry Dargenlieu, a mem ber of the Council for the Defence of the Empire, has been appointed Free French High Commissioner in the Pacific area, embracing New Caledonia, Tahiti, Oceania, and the New Hebrides condo minium.”

Does this mean that M. Brunot, vari ously described as “Governor-General” and “Commander-in-Chief”, has in his turn been superseded?

M. Andre Brenac, representative of Free France in Sydney, told the “PIM” that the above circumstances were a little puzzling. He was of opinion, how ever, that as Commandant Brunot had had to take over the Governorship at Tahiti, General de Gaulle had deemed it wise to send another high officer to the Pacific, to maintain liaison between the different French colonies (whose eco nomic and political conditions were diffi cult), and to report back to him in Lon don. He thought that Captain Thierry Dargenlieu would make only a short visit (as Commandant Brunot had intended to make), and that the title of High Com missioner was for that purpose only.