Future of Solomons and New Hebrides

Typical Official Blah-Blah on Subject of: Future of Solomons and New Hebrides

SPEAKING in London in De cember (according to New Zea land Herald ) a Colonial Office spokesman said: • He had no knowledge that Aus tralia was considering taking over from Britain the administration of Solomons, and (part-share with France) of New Hebrides. • There have not been any talks between Britain and Australia on this subject.

• A report, 11 months ago, that Britain was preparing to sell out her interest in the New Hebrides to France was “nonsense”; and “the New Hebrides are not ours to sell, nor can France sell them to us.”

All of which the PIM, in its turn, described as nonsense, and typical of the way in which some high ranking bureaucrats seek to deceive the public. Here are the facts, as the PIM knows them: There is no economic growth worthy of the name in the British Solomons or in the British side of the New Hebrides —and there is not likely to be, under present condi tions. (The conditions were de scribed in December and January

Pim.)

Without growth, the local revenues are not sufficient to pay the cost of even the small establish ment which Britain maintains in the two Territories. Both require considerable subsidies —and Britain must be very weary of this endless drain.

The two Territories have no economic or political or strategical value for Britain. Whatever economic structure is in the archi pelagoes is Australian* For economic and defence reasons, the two groups could be of value to Australia.

The suggestion that Australia should become responsible for both, and extend her extensive and efficient Papua-New Guinea admin istrative machinery over both has been discussed once at a formal level since the war and at an in formal level a few times.

During the short period that Sir Percy Spender was Australian Min ister for Territories, France (in reply to an official inquiry) signified her willingness to accept Australia in the New Hebrides Condominium, in place of Britain.

Australia was not eager to accept new Islands responsibilities. But it is generally believed that while Australia would take over Solomons from Britain, under certain condi tions, Australia is definitely unwill ing to join in the Condominium with France.

One of the alternatives which have been informally or secretly discussed is that Britain should abandon the New Hebrides to France (“sell” was merely a pleasant sounding fiction) so that Solomons could be offered to Australia “with out any string attached to it.”

But the suggestion has been re sisted by the two interests (Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. and the Australian Presbyterian Mission) which tried so hard 50 years ago, before the Pandemonium” was created, to in duce Australia to officially enter the New Hebrides.

At the moment it looks like deadlock. But development events in relation to Asia may fc action of some kind. The archipelagoes—rich in natural sources—cannot be adequately ministered or developed under p sent conditions. Much of Asia overcrowded to the point of s focation. If the groups cannot made use of by the British i French, world opinion will in that they be made available to Asians. Australia may not like tl