M. Sautot Had No Red
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Connections in N.C.
THE story of the deportation of Gov ernor Henri Sautot, from New Caledonia, in 1942, by Commissioner d’Argenlieu, in extraordinary circum stances, was told for the first time in the October issue of the “PIM.”
In seeking an explanation of the erratic and high handed conduct of d’Argenlieu, we suggested that perhaps d’Argenlieu imagined that some of the demonstrations made against him, and in favour of the Governor, had been inspired by Commu nists.
This appears to have given a wrong impression namely, that some of the people who rallied to M. Sautot’s support were Reds. Nothing of the kind was intended. No one who knows anything of the character and history of M. Henri Sautot would suggest that he would be approved by Communists.
When we wrote the article, we already had the assurance of Mr. Friday (whose notes we were using) that there were practically no Communists in New Cale donia at that time. What we were seek ing , was some understanding of the strangely-disturbed condition of Rear- Admiral d’Argenlieu’s mind, and his in explicable conduct.
Several people have written to us on this subject—some of them residents of New Caledonia. To them apparently, the motives of d’Argenlieu are as great a mystery as they are to us.
M. Sautot and his wife were recently N staying in Sydney. They arrived there in October after a journey from Übangui Chari, in Africa, (where he was gov ernor), via Pointe Noire, Angola, and Lozenco Marques, which took no less than eight months. He has retired from the French Colonial Service, and will reside, as “an amateur farmer,” in New Cale donia. The genial ex-governor met many old friends in Sydney.
Letters received recently by the Public Relations Office, Fiji, from Ratu Penaia, Ratu Mara and J. Bogidrau, three Fijians who are studying in Ehgland, tell of a pleasant journey from New Zealand to the United Kingdom on the “Rangitiki.” At Colon they found themselves faced with something of a problem when Bogi went ashore in a sulu. He had to be shepherd ed back to the ship to avoid being mobbed by a crowd of interested people, who were anxious to find out whether he was a man or a woman. All are finding that English rations leave them in a perpetual state of hunger. The Xmas cakes sent to them recently by the Fiji Gifts to Britain Fund Committee will no doubt be very welcome.