Libre!”

“Vive La France Libre!”

Noumea Celebrates An Anniversary

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Noumea, Oct. 2.

A YEAR ago, on September 19, Gov ernor Henri Sautot, of the New- Hebrides, landed at Noumea quay under the hostile guns of the “Dumont d’Urville” and walked to Government House, followed by a cheering crowd.

There, while the crowd sang the “Mar seillaise”, he deposed the weak and colourless Colonel Denis (who called him a “traitor”!) and ended his abortive regime of martial law.

Official celebrations of the first anni versary of this important event were arranged for Saturday, September 20, but the people of Noumea, with a more exact historic sense, insisted on antici pating these celebrations by a day.

So, through Michael Verges, president of the de Gaulle Committee, they invited the Governor to join them in a recon struction of his former march. The Governor agreed, and the same crowd that followed him a year ago, met him again at the quay and followed him, cheering, to the residence. Here they again sang the “Marseillaise”, and, after wards, informally deposited wreaths on the war memorial.

In an extempore speech (for his pre pared speech was given at the military parade the following day) M. Sautot recalled his feelings of the previous year while for six hours the Norwegian ship “Nordin”, which brought him from Vila,

cruised outside the harbour. He spoke of the arrival of the messenger, Monsieur Houssard, who brought him news of the events in the town and the arrival of the "broussards”, and then of the con tact made before landing with the local de Gaulle Committee on board a pilot launch.

Sautot added, in thanking the people of New Caledonia for their loyalty, “You

magnificently prepared my arrival.”

Certain jealousies which have broken out during the year between members of the de Gaulle Committee were banished by a notable speech of reconciliation by Maitre Verges who said: “As the days pass by, we realise more and more that what we did on that great occasion was well done. Our French hearts then found the real path of duty. We have rejected defeat, we have refused the foreign tyrannv of an enemy country, we have declared that we will not have our Caledonian soil, French soil, occupied like that great Pacific Colony (Indo china) with which Vichy—perhaps only through feebleness—sought to link our fate. Honour to the Caledonian volun teers who have left these shores to carry on the war!”

Mr. Colin Sefton, son of Mr. T. L.

Sefton, manager of Koitaki Rubber Plantation, Papua, is at present attending an artillery officers’ training school in the AIF. He was a prominent ftpotballer, representing NSW in Rugby Union.

Mr. J. Grahamslaw, old Port Moresby identity, must have established a record for the oldest resident o£ Papua to fly to Australia when early this month he ar rived at Brisbane per airliner. Mr.

Grahamslaw is 81 years of age, and his visit was necessitated by health reasons.