Rights
pp. 31-32 · Read in the full issue
Collaborators Deprived of Rights Former French Pacific Governors
mHE French official journal has pub- X lished decrees excluding from the Legion of Honour and forbidding the wearing of any French or foreign decora tion to the following persons:— M. Federoi Chastevet de Gery, ex- Governor, 3rd class, of the Colonies, on reserved list, officer of the Legion of Honour.
M. Marcel Marchessou, ex-Governor, 2nd class, of the Colonies, on the reserved list, officer of the Legion of Honour.
Both these collaborators were Governors in the Pacific in the years before the French Colonies rallied to General de Gaulle in 1940.
AS Governor of Tahiti, M. Chastenet de Gery tried to persuade French Oceania to abandon the war and under takings formerly taken on behalf of France to fight the war at the side of Australia, New Zealand and Britain. That was in mid-1940, when the Germans over ran France and Petain signed the so called Armistice with the enemy.
But public opinion forced him to agree to a referendum, which went overwhelm ingly (5,504 to 18) in favour of General de Gaulle. As a result, de Gery made way for Captain Dr. de Curton, and returned to Vichy France.
M. MARCHESSOU is well remembered as Governor of New Caledonia in 1936-37. In 1937 he was succeeded by Governor Jore, who had previously been a Governor of Tahiti. (Jore is now retired and living in France.) In stature M. Marchessou was the smallest .Governor that Caledonia ever had. He was only 5 ft. tall; hence his nickname, “Marche dessous” (or “walk underneath”). He was a Popular Front nominee of the Blum or Daladier epoch, which makes his later defection astonish ing. As Governor he was not disliked, being affable and polite.
When his term as Governor ended, he returned to France, but after 1940, in stead of joining the Resistance, he seems to have turned traitor, and allegedly ac cepted the position of president of a court-martial at Riom (not the same court that tried Reynaud and Daladier) under the occupation. In this capacity he was responsible for convicting mem bers of the Maquis to terms of imprison ment and to death. Hence the action now taken against him.
A recent report which reached New Caledonia was to the effect that he had been condemned to death.
The Rev. Alexander Hardie, formerly minister of the Presbyterian Church, Suva, Fiji, for six years prior to 1942, died in Auckland, NZ. on May 30. He had been in ill-health foi; many years.
He te survived by a widow.
Flight-Lieut. T. Nicholls, a member of the Fiji Contingent, is still serving with the RAF, and is stationed in Norfolk, England. He expects to be discharged in June.
Mr. Ross Elliott, who was on the Bank of New Zealand staff in Fiji before the war, recently returned to Suva, this time as accountant of the Suva branch of the bank.
Mr. C. C. Kao, who has been relieving Vice-Consul for China in Fiji, has re turned to Australia. He has been suc ceeded in the Colony by Mr. S. C. Lai, formerly of Wellington, NZ.