New Hebride

France May Get

Effect of Secret Talks No[?] Going On

SECRET discussions between tlr highest British and Frenct officials in the Southwes Pacific, now in progress, indicat that Britain is likely to withdra\ from the Condominium, leaving tlr New Hebrides entirely to France.

In the latter half of last centur: when Western European countrie were eagerly seeking colonies, botl Britain and France laid claim t the New Hebrides (80 islands, 5,70 square miles, about 45,000 natives] They ruled the group jointly fc means of a naval commission fron 1887 until 1906, when the presen Condominium was established. I has been called “Pandemonium.”

British interests there (repro sented mostly by Burns Philp & C»!

Ltd., and the Presbyterian Missioc —both Australian) have merely hel on during the last 50 years. Mosi of the group’s settlement and ire dustry is French. Most of the noir French trade (perhaps 50 per cem of the total trade) is with Australia After the war, a plan that Aus tralia should take over the Solomom and Britain’s share of the Ne T !

Hebrides from Britain, was discusses in London and Paris. Britain, tires of paying out endlessly on thes two unprofitable territories, ws agreeable; but the Australian Gow ernment turned down the plan they said Australia had all tlr Islands’ expense and bother shl wanted in Papua-New Guinea.

When Sir Robert Stanley becarm High Commissioner for the Westen Pacific, in 1952, he applied himseis to a solution of the economij problem. (Solomons, New Hebride and Gilberts are in his charged Evidently logic and hard facts haw led him, step by step, to the pr© sent proposal. Australia does no want the New Hebrides; Britaii has failed completely to do anythim with them, and is weary of the ex pense; so let France have them He has had several talks with thi French. Just recently he sent BS Treasurer lan Mackay to Vila oo “a highly secret mission.”

It has been arranged that thi French High Commissioner for thi High Pacific, whose headquarter are in Noumea; the British anc French Resident Commissioners fo the New Hebrides, from Vila; ann certain other high officials, shae meet Sir Robert Stanley at thi latter’s headquarters in Honian (BSD early in March. They wir make certain recommendations.

Australian interests are closed affected. Half NH trade is witf Australia. Australian shipping ana air lines run to NH ports. Ausj tralia owns at least 100,000 acre' of first-class land there —a gift from the late Sir James Burns.