Another Governor In N. Caledonia

Attempt to Avoid Further Clashes

YET another has been added to the apparently endless procession of Governors of New Caledonia. M.

Christian Laigret, who assumed office only in September last, has been suc ceeded by M. Jacques Tallec, who, in December, was expected in Noumea “within a few weeks.”

Comment upon the ever-changing governorship of New Caledonia was made in this journal in 1938, when it was pointed out, as a strange reflection upon conditions in Paris, that new Gov ernors, for a couple of decades, had been arriving in Noumea at the average rate of about one per annum. As the Gov ernor of New Caledonia exercises almost dictatorial authority, it is impossible to get real administrative authority there when the head of the administration is changed so frequently.

Changes, under the regime of Fighting France, have been even more kaleido scopic and remarkable. * They may be summarised thus: — 1940. —Prior to capitulation of France, M. Pelis sier was Governor. As the New Caledonian people were overwhelmingly for De Gaulle, and the Governor accepted orders from Vichy, his position became untenable, and he resigned. 1940 (August).—Colonel Denis appointed Gov ernor by Vichy, 1940 (September).—People rise and depose Denis, and instal as Governor M. Senri Sautot, who had arrived from New Hebrides. 1941 (April).—Commandant Richard Brunot arrives in Pacific with authority over the Governors of French Pacific colonies. He does not interfere with Sautot, but he goes to Tahiti and deposes the Governor of French Oceania, and creates political uproar. 1941 (July).—Rear-Admiral Thierry D’Argenlieu appointed French High Commissioner in the Pacific. He proceeds immediately to Tahiti, where he deposes Brunot, appoints Georges Orselli as Governor (still in office) and releases high officials interned by Brunot. 1942 (May).—Sharp clash in New Caledonia between D’Argenlieu (as High Commissioner) and Sautot (as Governor), and there is great public excitement as people take the side of Sautot. Sautot leaves Colony sud denly, for London and an African governor ship, and D’Argenlieu follows soon after wards. 1942 (August).—Henri Montchamp arrives and assumes governorship. 19'43.—Montchamp leaves to undertake com batant war service, and M. Jan Bourgeau becomes Acting Governor. 1943 (August).—Christian Laigret arrives with title of Director of the Cabinet of the High Commission, and authority over all French colonies in the Pacific. 1943 (November). —It is announced that M.

Laigret is soon to depart, that M. Jacques Tallec has been appointed Governor of New Caledonia, and that the High Commission of the Pacific, created July, 1941, has been abolished. The Governors of New Cale donia and of French Oceania will in future be responsible to the Fighting French Government at Algiers. The French Resi dent Commissioner in the New Hebrides will be responsible to the Governor of New Caledonia.

New Caledonia has experienced ten changes in the chief administrative post in 3£ years.

While it is admitted that these are very difficult times, it is hoped that the Fighting French Government now has made up its mind, and that the Governor of New Caledonia will be left alone, for a while, so as to give reason ably efficient service to his important territory. New Caledonia, at present, is enjoying the full blast of “dollar-pros perity”; but there may be a very differ ent economic condition when the Pacific war ends, and the troops begin to go home. Then, the New Caledonian gov ernorship will be a real job. At present, and for many months past, it has been almost a sinecure.

New Governor’S Notable

Record

IN a speech in Noumea in December, M.

Laigret said that Jacques Tallec was a native of Lorient, the naval base in Brittany, and was 41 years old. He had taken a law degree, and had for 15 years been a high official in Syria and Lebanon, including 10 years as financial adviser to the Lebanon Government. He had shown great courage and resource fulness during the present war.

In 1940 he had tried to rally the Levant to Free France, for which he had been dismissed from office by Vichy, sent to France by special plane, and placed under German surveillance. In 1942 he had escaped with difficulty into Spain, whence he had managed to get to London.

On the subject of the Noumea naval base, Monsieur Laigret (who expects to go to Algiers from New Caledonia) said that New Caledonian feeling coincided with the views publicly expressed by Aus tralian and New Zealand Ministers, namely, that the United Nations should come to a mutual Pacific defence agree ment which would not involve any aban donment of national sovereignty over bases. Pacific nations should accept the responsibility for Pacific defence, while in Western Europe Britain and France should take control.

Good Work By M. Laigret

Noumea, Dec. 14.

AFTER four busy months, which have seen the dissolution of the French ■Pacific High Commissionership as instituted by Rear-Admiral d’Argenlieu, Monsieur Christian Laigret announced the early arrival of a successor. It seems that, having straightened out things here at a time when tact and commonsense such as he possesses were badly needed, M. Laigret will return to duties elsewhere.

M. Tallec’s appointment is in line with New Caledonia’s request for a non-mili tary Governor. The Colony wishes, in the words of its chief spokesman, M.

Berges (president of the Administrative Council) to avoid clashes such as have taken place between the civil and the military elements in the administration.

When he arrives, M. Tallec will take over as General Commissaire and Repre sentative of France in the Pacific, and French High Commissioner in the New Hebrides, as well as Governor of New Caledonia.

M. Laigret has presented the Adminis tration with a masterly report of 27,000 words, packed with cogent information about the Colony’s financial, economic and war situation and effort, also out lining a comprehensive programme of future development and reconstruction, to which the population fully subscribes, and which will undoubtedly receive the attention of the French National Com mittee. In it he reveals Lend-Lease com mittments amounting to 26 million francs, including 18 million in New York and three million in Sydney. For this report, if for nothing else—and New Caledonia has rarely seen a more hard working and plain-speaking Governor — M. Laigret deserves the thanks and respect of this not always well under stood colony.