Third Flag In

N. Hebrides

Problem of Shipless Tonkinese

“VTO European who lives in the New Hebrides wishes to see the Con dominium abolished,” said a recent visitor from Vila. “The idea of the Ter ritory being joined more closely to Britain, or France, or Australia is not liked. We get a very fair deal from the Condomium officials, and there is none of this interference with our private lives and businesses. We want no change.”

The most remarkable development in the New Hebrides in recent years is the appearance there of a third flag.

Over a building in the main street of Vila there waves a red flag with a five pointed yellow star in the top corner, near the staff. This building is the head quarters of the Tonkinese Commissioner, and the flag is the flag of Tonkin, to which Indo-Chinese country the French have given a certain recognition. A minia ture of the flag waves from the bonnet of the Tonkinese Commissioner’s car. in the same way as the miniature Tricolour and Union Jack wave from the bonnets of the cars of the French and British Re sident Commissioners.

To get labour, the French Administra tion brought to the New Hebrides large numbers of Tonkinese, under indenture.

The British had no labour—so many of them obtained French nationality, and employed Tonkinese, and so saved their plantations.

When war came, the indenture system broke down, because the time-expired men could not be repatriated. The Tonkinese generally were freed, and thrown on their own resources. The majority entered into private contracts, with a considerable rise in wages.

In 1942-45 large numbers of American troops were in the group, and the Tonkinese generally became prosperous, by selling to the troops curios, liquor, taxi-cab service, and their women. They still have a lot of that money.

After the war, the Tonkinese clamoured to go home, but lack of shipping pre vented any repatriation worthy of note.

The men engage in various industries, but they still want to go back to Indo china. Although they have their women with them —the French allowed about two women to come in, for every 10 men— they show no inclination to settle in the country—being, in this respect, very dif ferent from the Indians in Fiji, and the Chinese in New Guinea.

The number of Tonkinese in the Con dominium is variously estimated at from 6.000 to 10,000 —probably about 8,000. The Tonkinese Commissioner is in the group to represent them, in all their relations with the French and British.

Recently, there were tense scenes in Santo, when a large number of Tonk inese gathered around the house of the French Resident and remained there for three days, loudly demanding that they be sent home. The French officials plained that it still was impossible to get ships; but thev promised the repatria tion of about 300 in a month’s time, to be followed by small parties at fairly regular intervals.

The Tonkinese dispersed; but the whole community Insists that it is very unhappy and anxious to go home.

Mr. F. L. Jones, a trader from Vanikoro (Solomon Islands) and Baulu Islands (New Hebrides) arrived in Sydney m August, and will spend three months in Australia.