showcase

France's military showcase

From a Noumea correspondent The French, while gradually build ng up their military presence in the 3 acific, seem to be looking for oppor unities to extend their influence.

Phis at least seemed to be the mess age of two French missions in this egion during January-February, jallantly raising the protection of heir nuclear umbrella.

In New Caledonia, a five-man lelegation from the French parlia lentary committee on national de snce made a three-day visit at the nd of January. Before leaving loumea, mission leader Albert Voil uin was asked about France’s role mid the changing positions of the jperpowers. The French parliament rian was quoted in the Noumea ress as saying that Britain’s entry ) the Common Market created a acuum in the Pacific which worried ich countries as Australia, New ealand and others. He coupled this ancern with the “advance of the ipanese and the problem of Papua ew Guinea”.

While French military strength as not enormous, Mr Voilquin )inted out, it was expected to in ease. He referred to the Puma :licopters due to reach New Cale )nia in July (for the rapid transit armed men) together with the itial elements of a locally-based

Air Force. He also hoped the gen darmerie could be better equipped.

At the same time the Noumea Governor’s office reported that a helicopter landing site for military aircraft is to be built right in Nou mea, at the Pointe de I’Artillerie, a bayside peninsula.

Mr Voilquin indicated that greater military efforts may be required. If for example, France establishes dip lomatic relations with New Guinea, “we would seek to speak up for any one who suggested it was necessary to re-inforce the system”.

Another move to extend French influence was made by the French Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr B. Destremau, who visited Australia in early February.

Mr Destremau arrived expressing concern at the increasing insurgency in South-East Asia and the Russian build-up in the Indian Ocean.

After raising these frightening prospects for the Australians, he spoke of French power in the region and also discussed plans for a scientific and cultural agreement be tween France and Australia.

Other talks centred on the deve lopment of Australian uranium, as France is pressing to sell its tech nology for use in the building of any Australian plant for uranium enrichment to produce nuclear power.

So, while loudly proclaiming she has no territorial ambitions, France is building up New Caledonia as a showcase for her armaments and from there seeking to extend her weapons trade and influence around the region.

Meanwhile, back home in New Caledonia, the Paris refusal to hand

out the SAIO million needed to meet the 1976 budget deficit has highlighted Noumea fears that the territory is to be absorbed as a departement of France and see the introduction of income tax.

The Caledonians realise that cur rent Paris manoeuvres will take fur ther control away from the deficit plagued territory and put it into Parisian hands. At the same time they resent the possibility of having the Paris system of income tax im posed upon the islanders, with “an army of public servants to police it” and the scandals this system involves, as when a recent French prime minister was forced to resign over allegations concerning his own per sonal tax avoidance.

With Paris refusing to fund the deficit, and the Caledonian Territorial Assembly knocking back the governor’s proposals for higher local taxes, a three-man “unofficial” mis sion from the Assembly flew off early February to have “private” talks with French Minister for Overseas Territories Olivier Stirn.

And all the while the Caledonians can only express their futile anger over the way Paris has led the terri tory to spend billions of francs in preparation for new nickel smelting factories in the north and south of the island, which still show no hope of being realised.

Meanwhile, the Caledonian budget.

Continued on p 76

From p 15

which must balance each year, had still not been voted for 1976 in Feb ruary, and the administration con

tinued on provisional monthly

estimates.

The Paris government’s refusal to pay the 1,000 million CFP subsidy sought by the Territorial Assembly was announced by Governor Eriau on January 26, after his return from Paris. The governor said, however, that the state would be prepared to take over the departments of health and education in the territory and thus relieve local expenditure. The Caledonians fear such a move as an encroachment upon local control over this important area.

Referring to this concern, Governor Eriau was quoted in the local press as mentioning the word

“departmentalisation” (note, not

simply “department”) and saying

“This word does not exist in the dic tionary ... I met the Prime Minis ter .. . and not for a moment was this barbaric expression on his lips”.

Whatever the Governor and Prime Minister may or may not say, talk of New Caledonia being drawn closer into France as a “department” rather than continuing as a “territory” is certainly the subject on everyone’s lips in Noumea.

In a lengthy condemnation of Paris policy, a letter from the anti autonomist parties was sent to the French Government on January 21.

The letter blamed the Paris govern ment for building up the territory’s debts and public service with a pro mise of increasing nickel metal pro duction up to 200,000 tonnes in 1975, whereas the output would still only be about 65,000 tonnes in 1976.

In the meantime, the territorial budget had been increased from 2,300 million CFP in 1968 to 12,000 million CFP (SAI2O million) in 1976. To match this expenditure, the territory had provided for 5,117 mil lion CFP taxes in 1974 and 8,833 million in 1976, despite the economic crisis. (Most of these taxes are on imports and exports, and other in direct taxes). This is for a popu lation of about 130,000 of whom 40 per cent are Melanesians.

The Noumea Chamber of Com merce has added its protest to the growth of the public service and local expenditure by pointing out that from 1968 to 1976, the value of the territory’s exports (nickel) has increased 2.8 times, whereas the territorial budget has increased 5.7 times.

Among the solutions proposed by all political parties is that France should take over the expense—about SAS million annually—of the metro politan French public servants sent out to the territory.

But despite all the protests, the strategy remains the same. The French bureaucracy will have their way and New Caledonia will grad ually find itself directed more and more by public servants from Paris —which will always make Noumea

watching a fascinating pastime.