Colonies

New Policy for French Colonies Announced by Governor of N. Caledonia

From Our Own Correspondent

. Noumea, July 1.

A SESSION extraordinary of the New Caledonian General Council was opened on Monday, June 11, by an address by Governor Tallec, who made the customary promise to reform the Colony’s political institutions and in crease liberties now that the bad old system known as the “pacte coloniale” has been definitely abandoned.

Current liberalism, he said, made it necessary to consider matters In a new perspective. From the new policy that has been outlined, French Territories like New Caledonia should benefit in the way of moral, political and economic advancement.

He referred to the telegram from the Minister for Colonies (M. Giacobbi) with its express assurances that France would endow the Colony with a “considerable degree of political freedom” and an organisation guaranteeing Caledonian rights. The year 1945 had seen the re establishment of the principle of uni versal suffrage, and the right of women to vote, and as from July 1 women were to be enrolled on the electoral list.

The administration would submit for consideration a plan to equip Caledonian agriculture with modern equipment which would simplify the labour problem. Also to be studied was a large-scale plan of public works, in which connection there was a lot of leeway to make up, due to the war, and other causes.

REFERRING to the crisis in the Middle East, Governor Tallec, who was for 15 years an official in Syria, said that the Provisional Government of the Republic and General de Gaulle had protested vigorously against inadmissible proceedings and had insisted that French rights and interests should be respected.

He also referred to the new statute for Indo-China after its liberation from the Japanese, adding that it was a guarantee of the will of the French people to re main faithful to the ideal of liberty and to hasten the evolution of coloured people associated with France.