Freedom!

Pacific Frenchmen Celebrate Liberation of Homeland

AUGUST 23, 1944, is likely to be an important date in the history of the South Pacific. For that appears to be the accepted date of the liberation of Paris from the Germans —which really means the liberation of France. And, in the South Pacific, the freedom of their Mother Country means much to the people of New Caledonia, French Oceania and New Hebrides. There have been joy ous demonstrations in Noumea, Tahiti, Vila —wherever Frenchmen have gathered together.

For four years, the French colonies have been cut off from their homeland.

At first, their administrative, financial and economic systems were in chaos; and, had it not been for the ready help of the British Pacific countries, and of the United States, their condition would have been calamitous.

They struggled along for nearly two years; and then the arrival of the Ameri cans in the South Pacific, and America’s expenditure of huge sums for war pur poses, changed everything—economically.

Since March, 1942, the French colomes have known “dollar prosperity”—in full measure and flowing over.

Now, as the Americans move north wards, in pursuit of the Japs, and the French colonies are finding the economic going a little tougher, there comes the restoration of France to the French people. This, of course, means that com munication between France and the South Pacific colonies will be restored.

This, in turn, means the restoration of trade—but not immediately—and there will be difficulties. France will need all the foodstuffs and raw materials that her Pacific colonies can supply; but. having been so completely and ruthlessly looted by the enemy, she will not be in a posi tion for some time to pay for imports, either in cash or goods.

Transport, also, will present a nroblem.

There probably will be no regular lines of ships between Europe and the Pacific until Germany collapses.