Appear Unfriendly!

[?]ome New Caledonians Appear Unfriendly!

p WAS surprised when those two f excellent newspapers of New Saledonia, Bulletin du Commerce, of tecember 10, and La France fystrole, of December 11, expressed isentment of the short article on New ialedonia which I published in No pmber PIM. But I was really stonished and discomfited when the ig Noumea commercial establish ing Maison Barrau, wrote angrily {pout the same date, declaring I had jt>elled the French Colony, and can dling forthwith the whole of the |ven annual subscriptions for which

[was responsible!

■Since then, I have carefully . re sad my article; and, although I am ell aware of the extraordinary msitivity of the French in the matter [Anglo-Saxon criticism —it is some ling almost beyond belief—l still innot understand exactly what it is lat the worthy representatives of pumea object to.

H said I had found Noumea a de bssing place, and I thought that few Caledonia was in something of [politico-economic mess; and 1 ex fessed the opinion, by inference, it most of New Caledonia’s political publes stem from the rather ruthless [ntrol exercised over the country for any years by the commercial set-up Uled the Nickel Combine. Upon flection, I am not inclined to alter [word of it.

It is true, I was only three days I the country, and my impressions [ay be all wrong. But I am sure lat my journalistic friends of pumea will be the first to accept the ptum of their great Voltaire —“l do it agree with a word you say—but I will fight to the death for your wedom to say it” —or something it that. [But my reaction to the brimstone bathing letter of Maison Barrau [entirely different. “I do not agree ith your opinion,” says this arrogant Mnmunication, in effect. “There >re. I shall have none of your ser ice. Cancel it forthwith!” - Until IM expressed an opinion with which I disagreed, the House of Barrau pparently was quite happy to receive

p service.

[it is exactly that spirit of ruthless css and intolerance in the realm of ig Business that has created in New pledonia the political conditions toich we so much deplore. [No one has for Communism, and II that it implies, a greater detestation tan has this writer. Muscovite Com munism, which is the logical develop tent of academic Socialism, is the

negation of all that is best in Western civilisation, and in human relations.

But this writer believes that the most potent factor in the creation of Socialism and the development of Communism in the past century was the abuse of individualism (personal freedom) by certain forms of Capitalism—and one of the worst forms of Capitalism is the Inter national Combine. Anyone who is acquainted with conditions in New Caledonia will follow the implication.

R. W. Robson.

The engagement was announced at a party in the Tavua Hotel, Fiji, recently of Miss Judy Hannah, nurs ing sister at Ba Hospital, to Mr. Pat Green of the CSR Co., Ba.

On November 10, Miss Pixie Turner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.

Turner of the Tavua Hotel, Tavua, Fiji, entertained 30 guests at her 6th birthday party. Less well-known as Susanne Lae Turner, this young lady was the first European baby born in Lae, New Guinea, after the war.

Her parents later moved on to Fiji where they run the very pleasant Tavua Hotel.