Debate Over Japs New

Hebrides Still Going On

CONTROVERSY over the proposal

to establish a New Hebrides’ tuna-fishing industry by the entry of Japanese moved into the Sydney Press on October 9, when Mr. H.

W. Henderson, chairman of the protesting group of Britons in the

New Hebrides, was quoted as saying

at Sydney that the move “would establish a Japanese Pacific base nearer Australia than any before or since the last war.”

The Sun-Herald report stated that “the non-British company spon soring the venture had secured British registration, which would allow the Japanese vessels to fly the British flag.”

The report quoted Mr. Henderson as saying: “This is an outrageous scandal that should be fully investigated by the British and French Governments, who jointly administer the islands. This company, controlled by three non- Britishers and formed with Japanese capital, plans to start tuna-fishing at Santo, the main island of the group.

“The company is bringing about 200 Japanese to the islands to operate the business. They will use seven fast, 100-ton ships, each manned by Japanese and native crews.

“By securing British registration, the company may fly the British flag on these ships. They may go unquestioned anywhere in the area or along the Australian coast.

“The company proposes to build slipways and other establishments at Santo, which will give the Japanese a Pacific operations base further south than they have ever had before. The New Hebrides is the most important strategical position in the south-west Pacific and should not be thrown open to Japanese infiltration. . . .

“The Japanese are expert smugglers and, as their vessels are identical, cargo-switching in the outer islands would make easy the evasion of customs and export charges. It is almost impossible to keep track of vessels in the 30 islands within this small area.

“Within the last few months the British District Agent at Santo spent more than a week searching for a Japanese ship which had illegally entered the area. While the agent was away, the ship brazenly entered Santo harbour.

The crew came and went as they pleased for a few days. The ship left Santo before the agent returned and was not seen again.”

VIEWS somewhat similar to those of Mr. Henderson were expressed in June FIM in a

letter from Mr. T. M. Smith, of Santo.

In the same issue, the British Resident Commissioner, Brigadier H. Flaxman (since retired) was quoted as saying at Sydney that he did not think there was much opposition to the employment of Japanese under contract in the tuna-fishing industry. It had been proved, he said, that the industry could not be otherwise based at the present time, and any suggestions that the fishing company might be allowed to carry on other trade with Japan were based on wrong information.

Brigadier Flaxman’s comment was made to a PIM representative in May.