[?]Seting Impression By

[?]mea indignant

[?]Ast-Flying Writer

Noumea, May 28.

E Australian Press is under fire n New Caledonia. Both political lides have attacked and the ing broadside was fired in the assembly, the Conseil Generale. e leader of “Big Business” ;d that a protest be made ally to the Australian Consul, j passed on to the Australian rnment, against “the campaign ist French work in the Pacific” le Australian Press, e motion was passed unanim ; “applauded” (according to the paper) “by the members and )üblic present.” e second attack was made by ‘Opposition” in the form of an le published in the roneo sheet znir Caledonien, publised by Deputy of New Caledonia, Mr. ice Lenormand. The article signed by the publisher, this was caused by an article shed in Sydney Sun Herald of 22, written by veteran lalist Jack Perci v a 1. Mr. val came to Noumea as itive officer aboard Sir Gordon )r’s Sandringham flying-boat, subsequ°ntly wrote his un ions of Noumea. . Lenormand says the article “grotesque” and that it made Australian press ridiculous. He res that Mr. Percival, in less 300 lines, assembled more in rs than all the journalists who up to now written about New lonia. . Lenormand is especially out l by statements that Noumeans 1 all their time drinking ipagne and red wine whilst ling “Tahitian belly-dancers.” protests against the suggestion there is any Communist organ *n here or that there is any lility of Japanese labourers ig here. ere is no truth in the state that Japan has any designs ew Caledonia. If there are any ns shown anywhere one would re that they are those of Aus ,n “Big Business.” e article concludes by asking 3 Sun Herald article does not t the ideas of certain circles astralia, jealous of New Cale bs prosperity and seeking an e to meddle in New Caledonian s.

Lenormand informs Aus ns in general that if New onians are willing to enter into n tourist and commercial re s with Australia they are 7 resolved to remain attached ance and the French Empire, attachment to the French

community is the guarantee of their liberties, present and future.

Your correspondent must express regret that some journalists who fleetingly visit New Caledonia give the world ideas of the country based on very superficial impresisons.

Whilst in Noumea, Admiral Jouan, formerly commander of French naval forces in the East, declared that when France was free of the problem of Algeria, it was certain that an effort would be made to in crease French forces in the Pacific.

The accent would be on the aero naval branch. He mentioned that the harbour of Nepoui, on the West coast of NC, would make an ex cellent aero-naval base, especially

as it is in close proximity to the big war-time air-field Plaine des Gayacs.