Render Unto Polynesia!

French Polynesia’s old warrior Pouvaana a Oopa and fellow deputy Francis Sanford bitterly attacked France in an open letter aimed at French Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Marc De Joubert when he was making a tour of the territory recently.

He had come to a conquered country, they charged, to inspect troops and materials of death and carry out experiments “too dangerous to carry out in your own country”. The comment was obviously attacking the nuclear testing programme.

“Polynesia and the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere see the continuation of physical and genetic sacrifices which can be only the responsibility of France and her inhabitants”, the letter went on.

Describing himself as an officer and therefore a simple servant of the state, the admiral said the Polynesians were men of intelligence and moral integrity who had been deceived by false information. It was well known, he said, that Australian

and New Zealand scientists had courageously given witness that the nuclear tests were carried out in con ditions which, they knew, had no physical or genetic consequences.

Referring to an incident in Paris earlier in the year when Admiral Joubert told clergy, who had criticised the tests, that they should “stick to your work and we’ll stick to ours”, the two deputies said they would end the admiral’s admonition to the clergy to “Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”, by saying “Render unto the Polynesians the things which are Polynesian, to wit, Polynesia”, Earlier, a French army captain criticised the government’s nuclear policy and attacked the Armed Forces Minister, Mr Robert Gallay. Writing in Le Monde, he said that Mr Gallay had promised a full debate on French defence months ago. It hadn t hap pened. Moreover, if ever France was obliged to use her nuclear weapons, France would immediately be smashed. The captain is now serving 30 days detention.