Communist Activity In

French Oceania

And Papeete’s Effort to Combat it

Prom Our Own Correspondent PAPEETE, April 15.

THAT the Communist party is reaching out to control remote Pacific islands is shown by recent events in Tahiti.

In October, 1949, in good time to take part in the elections about to be held here to appoint a Deputy to represent in terests of French Oceania in the National Assembly in Paris, there arrived in Pa peete, by TRAPAS airplane. Comrade Lachenal, Conseiller of the Union Fran caise.

Evidently provided with substantial funds, he threw himself into local poli tics, espoused the candidature, for De puty, of Pouvana Oopa, a prominent native political agitator, and, accom panied by interpreters to expound the ideology of his party to the natives, toured the island on his behalf. Oopa had not hitherto been regarded seriously as a can didate for the high office he was seeking.

Unable to speak French, he would be in articulate in an assembly in Paris whose members were ignorant of the Tahitian language. However, after a boisterous campaign in which promises impossible of fulfilment were lavishly made on his be half, to the astonishment of the Colony he was elected Deputy.

Announcement of his success was ac claimed in Paris in the Communist news paper, Humanite, which publication in the same issue carried an article, pur porting to have been written by Mr. Oopa, assailing the South Pacific Commission then meeting and declaring that the said Commission was endeavouring to sell out French Oceania to a foreign government.

Current rumour in Papeete is that Oopa has already become a member of the Com munist party which is awaiting his ar rival in Paris.

By chance, by the same plane that brought M. Lachenal to Tahiti, there arrived also M. Gaignard, also a Conseiller of the Union Francaise and influential leader in anti-Communist activity in Paris. Upon arrival he sought out prominent Papeete citizens and emphasised to them the aanger to the Colony of Lachenal’s mis sion. In consequence, a new political party, called the Union Populaire d’Oceania, has been organised in Papeete, and a weekly newspaper, published in French and Tahitian, has been established to combat the growing Communist menace in the Colony. President of the Union Populaire is Mr. Alfred Poroi, Mayor of Papeete, while editor of the newspaper (which is called La Boussole (The Com pass)) is Mr. Gustave F. Spitz, prominent businessman of the city.

THE election for Deputy terminated to his satisfaction, M. Lachenal has re turned to Paris, while Oopa has entered on an extensive tour of the islands

of French Oceania to harangue the elec torate. Meanwhile the new Union Popu laire, through meetings and the columns of La Boussole, is conducting an aggres sive campaign to counteract the doctrines of Communism throughout the Colony

Mr. J. A. Marais, who is at present a Postal Surveyor, Nyasaland, is to succeed Mr. W. F. Hayward as Postmaster- General, Fiji, Mr. Hayward expects to go on pre-retirement leave in July.

Mr. R. J. B. Ackland, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Ackland of Suva, Fiji, has left for England where he will be enrolled at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Mr. Ackland, Snr., has had a long asso ciation with the defence forces of the Colony.