Anthems, Flags And Emblems

Provided Some Odd Mix-Ups

There were some divergent views on protocol surrounding national anthems, flags and emblems at the First South Pacific Games.

THE organisers had planned that the 13 territories competing would bring identifying emblems in stead of national flags, and provide identifying tunes instead of national anthems to be played during pre sentation of gold medals on the official dais.

But some territories misunderstood, some forgot, some said they never had the position explained to them in the first place, and some insisted on going their own way, anyhow.

President de Gaulle himself laid it down that the French Polynesian and New Caledonian teams would have the French Tricolor as their identifying flag at the Games and that La Marseillaise would be played on the victory dais without fail.

Both French teams brought small pennants from sporting bodies, but these flew beneath the large Tri colors on the stand.

America Samoa flew the Stars and Stripes during the Games, though it has a territorial flag of its own.

Its victory tune was a rendition of the United States anthem by a Samoan choir.

Independent Western Samoa brought its own flag and its own anthem; Tonga brought its own flag but used a martial arrangement composed by Queen Salpte as its identifying tune.

Nauru, which is administered by Australia on behalf of the trustee ship Powers of Australia, NZ and the UK, brought only one flag— the Australian flag.

Niue brought the New Zealand flag, but had a tune of its own, its local anthem, Ko e Iki he lagi, which is often heard in Niue, but it wasn’t given the opportunity to play it.

None of the British territories played the British anthem or dis played the Union Jack. Fiji and New Guinea, whose victory tunes were heard most frequently, both had special identifying banners and spe cial tunes.

The British-French Condominium of the New Hebrides got over its flag problem by designing a special symbol which was half the French flag and half the British.

French Protest The only official incident over protocol was when the French pro tested that La Marseillaise had been mutilated by being chopped off short, although Tonga’s contribution had been allowed its full length.

The French were probably about the only realists there, nationally speaking. Their delegates made it clear that they thought all territories should be playing their own an thems and flying their own flags— and be proud of it. They made no apologies for their attitude.

Since Noumea will be the venue foi the next Games, and since many of the special tunes provided by others were insignificant little ditties, anyhow, the Games Council could well accept the French view.