Fiery rumours, and facts, in Vila

The latest session of the New Hebrides Advisory Council droned to an uninteresting end just before Christmas without providing fire works (see this page). They came that week from outside the council, and Vila was rife with fact and rumour.

The first story that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at Barclays Bank building created excitement until investigation put an end to that rumour. But there was an incident in front of the bank.

Some New Hebrideans in a car were near the bank when a petrol flask was ignited when one attempted to light a cigarette. No one was injured but the innocent petrol flask became a Molotov cocktail when stories of the incident went the rounds.

The second rumour had no foundation in fact. It was rumoured, and the rumour spread far afield, that an attempt had been made to burn down Burns Philp’s store. This was quickly denied.

The third incident was true. Two New Hebrideans, one of them Kalkot-Matas Mele, who has been studying at the University of Papua New Guinea, and who is rapidly gaining notoriety as a fiery member of the National Party, walked into the British Ex-servicemen’s Club and demanded drinks.

They were refused drinks and Police Superintendent John Liddle remonstrated with them. Kalkot-Matas grabbed a picture of the Queen which was hanging in the club and, in the words of a club member, wrapped it around the superintendent’s neck.

Kalkot-Matas ended up in custody and later appeared in court charged with assaulting the superintendent. The magistrate adjourned the case and allowed him to go free as Kalkot-Matas had to address a meeting of the National Party.

When the hearing was resumed, Kalkot-Matas was sent to prison for two weeks.