By Request
p. 138 · Read in the full issue
Mo Missiles By Request
In the Paris Chamber of Dei puties in October, M. Maurice Lenormand, New Caledonia* Deputy, expressed the fear than New Caledonia would be madh a missile base. He was assurer by the Minister for French Oven seas Territories, M. Jaquinot that there was no intention oc basing missiles in New Cale* donia. But in spite of this ast surance New Caledonians, ano others, were quick to point ouv that whatever is the French Gov* ernment’s intention the Minister would have been bound to deny any rumour at the moment.
The story has been circulating in New Caledonia for severer weeks that if France has to abandon the Sahara atomic tesfi ing ground through pressure from Algeria, she will look to the Pacific for a new testing base.
The build-up of military ana naval expenditure in New Calei donia fed the idea that New Caledonia had drawn the um lucky marble.
More than a year ago there were similar rumours abom atomic experiments taking place in the Pacific. On that occasion s the French High Commissioner spoke over the Noumea radio station and declared the idea completely false.