Be Quitting

Britain Won’t Be Quitting

TN the New Hebrides one day in August, everybody with ears had their radios tuned in for the inaugural broadcast from Radio Vila, to hear the visiting British Secre tary of State for the Colonies, Mr. F. Lee, make a state ment. The rumour was that Mr. Lee would announce that because of economic difficul ties in Britain, the UK would withdraw from the British- French Condominium and let France have control.

It was impossible to know whether British or French residents were the more worried about the outcome.

But it didn’t matter. Mr.

Lee quite firmly killed the rumour that Britain was plan ning to quit the New Heb rides.

“On the contrary,” he said, “our policy continues to be to work with our French col leagues and with the people of the territory for the peace ful progress of all who live in these islands.”

He said that despite Britain’s drastic cuts on expenditure at home she could maintain her re sponsibilities to her dependent territories, and the New Heb rides was not likely to suffer from Britain’s present diffi culties.

Now, in the report on the following pages, a special PIM

correspondent gives the latest

picture of developments in the condominium, and comes to the conclusion that despite the many problems faced by an inefficient system of dual control the New Hebrides is making progress.