NEW HEBRIDES CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 74, 26 March 1912, Page 5

NEW HEBRIDES CONTROL.

FRANCE TO WITHDRAW.

SYDNEY. March 20.

Visitors from thr ?\ew -Hebrides state that it is considered an accepted thing that an arrangements has h#rn arrived at, whereby the British authorities are to have the sole control of the group. French residents have taken definite action in forwarding a protest to France.

The fact that the Condominium Land Court has not yet been opened is much commented upon.

MELBOURNE. March 25

The. Federal Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher) states that he has received no official information ot any proposal to vest the Xew Hebrides exclusively witli the British authorities.

CESSION OF OTHER ISLAJfISS. A party of inland residents who arrived in Auckland by the Hauroto this morning from Fiji, and who had been over to tbe New Bebrides a few days before commencing their trip, informed a "Star" reporter that the cabled information was quite authentic. "Condomonium government," said one of the number, "has beea such a complete failure that residents of the islands will welcome a change to distinct and definite rult." Up to the present, he said, the system of joint government by England and Frencc had! resulted in a half and half form of observance, to the disadvantage of Britshers. The reason was that whereas the latur were kept up to the letter of the law, the French people had been listlessly defiant. The strong belief locally was that the New Hebrides were being subjected to British control , in return for the concession of other island interests to France. It. was thought that the French residents, although in a majority, would not offer serious opposition to the change of government.