Honoured

French Pacific Colonies Honoured Rewards for Loyalty in 1940-41

From Our Own Correspondent

Noumea, Dec. 20.

THE people of New Caledonia, who re mained loyal to the Anglo-French Alliance in the dark days of 1940, and, in a series of sensational events, defied the orders of the Vichy collabora tionists and rallied to General de Gaulle, are now enjoying their due reward.

France has been liberated; the French Government functions again; and the French colonies which remained staunch are being greatly honoured.

Governor Tallec has received a telegram from M. Giaccobi, French Minister for Colonies, stating that New Caledonia, in common with other colonies which rallied to General de Gaulle in the early days of French resistance, is exempt from the ordinance of last August 26, instituting “I’indignite nationale,” under which action may be taken against collaborationists.

Colonies similarly distinguished are French Oceania (Tahiti), Equatorial Africa, the Cameroons, and French colonies in India.

Nothing in recent months has given more satisfaction than the announce ment by General de Gaulle that, after Germany is defeated, France will fight on until Japan surrenders —which is as sumed to mean that French arms will assist in the liberation of Indo-China.

Black Memories Of 1940

NEW Caledonia, in January, will elect a new General Council of 15 mem bers —about the same number as the Council which Governor Henri Sautot dismissed in 1940 because it was per meated with defeatism.

Several of that Council’s members were receiving monthly directors' fees from the Japanese, for serving on dummy French concerns operating for Japanese mining interests. They were popularly supposed to favour the continuance of commercial relations with Tokio, and to believe that Britain would lose the war.

Fortunately, 90 per cent, of the popu lation, including practically all those born in the Colony, thought otherwise.

It has now been shown that the in stinct of the ordinary people of France’s most distant Colony was wiser than that of Paris like M. Baudouin, former head of the Societe de Nickel, the Bank of Indo-China and many others of the larger concerns in the French Em pire. M. Baudouin helped to persuade members of the Reynaud Cabinet that it was useless to resist, and became, for a time, a Vichy Minister.

Editorial Note About Bank of

Indo-China

BY the same token, it would be in teresting to know what is happening to the Bank of Indo-China.

We pointed out, repeatedly, in 1940-41, that although this bank was being con ducted by the collaborationists in Paris for the benefit of the Hun, and appar ently was closely tied in with Jap interests in Indo-China, it was still operating freely in New Caledonia and Tahiti.

Later, we were assured that the Pacific section of the bank had been completely and permanently separated from the metropolitan section. We expressed the view, fhen, that the whole set-up was malodourous.

What is going on now? Unless some one asks some questions, the old relation ships will be renewed; and Badouin and

his friends, in Prance, who assisted the enemy, will participate in the prosperity enjoyed by the Pacific section of the bank, because of the help given the French colonies by the British Empire and the United States.