Noumea Under

War

Soldiers Arrival Greats Far- Reaching Changes

From Our Own Correspondent

Noumea, Dec. 19.

“T>ONJOUR, Mademoiselle,’ ’ said the JtS smiling NZ sergeant, in his high school French, entering the cafe.

“Good-day, Kiwi,” replied the equally smiling French lass behind the bar.

Having said which she served him with a sandwich and a glass of grape-fruit juice.

This little passage shows the bi-lingual exchange that goes on daily in Noumea —and. indeed, throughout New Caledonia —since the arrival of the American forces.

Way back last year I remember a little local citizen timidly asked a tough-looking Digger (in his best English), “Do you think we are going to win the war, Monsieur?”

“Blast the war!” said the Digger (only he used a word rather stronger than “blast”). Everybody laughed at the little scene, and it was all quite friendly.

When this colony was in its infancy, 70 or 80 years ago, it was Australian and New Zealand and Cornish miners and cattlemen who brought the English words with them —such words as creek, pad dock, stockwhip, stockman, muster, mob, as well as mining terms —which have ever since been current here. Now the war is adding considerably to the num ber. Words like blackout (pronounced “blackoot”), shop and tea-room (mostly serving anything but tea) are in common use, and there is probably no French colony that understands English better than this one—or wants to understand it more. The order of words is often changed around to resemble the French way of talking, and sometimes a new order altogether is invented, like “sister for me” instead of “my sister”; but at any rate the meaning is usually plain, and after so much experience the French shopgirl knows what the soldier wants almost before he opens his mouth.

The expedients one was forced into in France during the last war—clucking like a hen, for example, when you wanted to buy some eggs—are hardly warranted here; and, although I would not try to dissuade any soldier eager to air his knowledge of a foreign tongue, I would recommend many to “say it in English” if they want to get their shopping done quickly.

Some funny things have happened in development of bi-lingualism. Noumea used to sell dress materials, perfumes, shoes, and nearly all things except prim ary foodstuffs, of French manufacture, in French sizes and with French lettering.

When, after France’s collapse, Australian goods with English printing came in instead there were some errors. I re member being told that one of the largest stores was selling toothpaste of a very special flavour, which foamed beautifully in the mouth. I went along for a tube, and found it to be a well-known brand of Australian shaving cream!

THE Colony’s Administrative Council has been holding its budget session, and it has refused the Governor’s wartime income-tax suggestion by eight votes to two. Instead, a special tax on shops, opened bv local business people since the United States forces arrived, is proposed. These shops, which have sprung up like mushrooms in Noumea and in the outer townships, are largely sandwich and soft-drink bars, and as their prices are fairly steep they have

been profit-making on a scale well beyond this formerly sleepy island’s previous experience.

Naturally, established stores are also sharing in the rapidly-expanded trade, but it is the new shops that the Council suggests should be taxed.

Every issue of the two local newspapers contains “want ads.” for “jeunes filles pour servir dans un tea-shop.” These shops, of course, fill the useful purpose of soldiers’ clubs, and are the meeting ground of men of the different services.

In them, men with a few hours’ leave sit around or stand up to the counter, dis cussing home and war news, and, when they can get a look in, they exchange a few ideas with the madamoiselle behind the counter on the difficulties they are having with the French language.

Maybe, the girl’s mother is one of those sober housewives who have taken to swelling the family budget by opening a laundry, run with Japanese and native Melanesian help, for American soldiers— who are plentifully supplied with clothes, and who, perhaps for this reason, seem to do little of their own washing, even in the bush.

In addition to the white establishments, Chinese laundries are also making hay while the sun shines. Newest opened is Noumea’s first hot - and - cold - showers establishment, in the Rue d'Alma (several street names go back to the Crimea war).

This place is a boon, even though it operates at something like normal Turk ish-bath prices.

Locally-printed elementary French grammars and phrase-books are on every stall: but, generally speaking, English novels —particularly detective stories—as well as books of the Penguin order deal ing with the war, have replaced French literature, which is no longer obtainable.

Even the stories for children one sees this Christmas are in English, and the toys the mothers are buying are of Aus tralian and American make.

Native souvenirs, apart from shell and coconut bracelets, are practically sold out; and, to take their place, “collections

of very old postage stamps” are making their appearance in the shops, while col lections of new postage stamps for sou venirs are being busily bought from the Post Office. Here and there, one notes that “evening conversation classes can be organised for American officers wishing to learn French.”

Noumea’s only daily paper, “La France Australe” (the other, the “Bulletin de Commerce,” is a bi-weekly) has gone bi-lingual, with such headings as “Grid iron Dope” and “In Lighter Vein”—the latter being extracts of the broader kind of American humour. News, translated from the French news (picked up from world-radio transmissions) is published under the heading, “The War To-day.”

Death of Wife of Nauru

Administrator

THE death occurred in Tasmania a few weeks ago, of Mrs. F. R. Chalmers, wife of Lieut.-Colonel Chalmers, Administrator of the Mandated Territory of Nauru (which Australia holds jointly with Britain and New Zealand).

There is real tragedy here. Colonel Chalmers was very happy in his family associations and he keenly felt the part ing when, in 1941, in view of the threat ening Japanese situation, all the women were sent away from Nauru. In 1942, when Japanese forces directly threatened Nauru, and practically all Europeans were evacuated, Colonel Chalmers was one of the very few Europeans who remained.

The Administrator volunteered to stay behind. It was felt that someone should remain and look after the considerable community of Nauruan natives, and the Administrator felt that that was his responsibility. There has been no news of him for some time.

Rev. D. L. and Mrs. Francis, who have been members of the Melanesian Mission serving in the Solomon Islands for several years, are at present in New Zealand. Mrs. Francis has been adding to her qualifications by doing a Plunket nursing training course, and Mr. Francis has been serving as chaplain with the New Zealand Military Forces overseas.