Future Of French

Colonies

Relations With the Mother Country

A N article in the February issue of the /V PIM (suggesting that the French colonies of New Caledonia and French Oceania are steadily forming stronger ties with the adjoining English speaking nations of United States, Aus ;ralia and New Zealand, at the expense )f their connection with France) was vigorously repudiated by M. Henri Bon leaud, President of the General Council, when he formally opened the discussions n that Assembly recently.

M. Bonneaud declared that the ties be tween Mother France and her Pacific colonies are to-day stronger and warmer :han ever; and that that will be demon strated in 1953, when New Caledonia will celebrate a century of existence as a :olony of France. Whatever differences jxist between France and her colonies were merely those found within any lappy family the members of which were :oncerned with each other’s welfare.

In the same speech, M. Bonneaud (who is a director of Maison Ballande and chief spokesman for the Ballande-Nickel Com pany interests in the Colony) discussed the dispute that has developed between the Governor-General and the General Council. The Council is demanding a greater measure of home rule in this ‘island of French settlement 24,000 kilo metres from Paris.” M. Bonneaud, sup porting that claim, said that the Paris authorities were trying to restrict the liberties of the New Caledonians.