NEW HEBRIDES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18147, 9 August 1924, Page 8

NEW HEBRIDES.

«ABOMINABLB STATE OF THINGS." erases association ymanuj«4 WELLINGTON, August 8. "fi« present arrangement should not be allowed to continue," said tbe Prime Minister to-day to a deputation regarding the New Hebrides. "It is sn abominable state of things. There is only one way ont of the difficulty, and that 13 to partition the islands and let each Government, French and British, be given its share in the Xew Hebrides, and probably we -would get on vptj mneh better than during recent years.

"I quite agree that tho condominium is an utter failure," Mr Massey added. "No more stupid agreement was ever entered into in this world than \vh3t was clone in regard to the joint control of the New Hebrides, and the people at tho head of affairs in Britain are getting very tired of it." These statements were made by the Prime Minister to a deputation which waited on him this morning in regard to the failure of the condominium agreement in the control of the New Hebrides.

The deputation represented Presbyterian foreign missions, the Anglican Board of Missions, the Methodist Missionary Society, the London Missionary Society, and the Wellington Ministers' Association.

The Rev. G. Jupp, convenor of the Foreign Missions Committee of the Presbyterian General Assembly, said that a petition had been prepared for presentation to Parliament, signed by 15,00'.' signatories, pointing out that the terms of the condominium between France and Britain were not being adhered to, aa was common knowledge. They felt that the condominium agreement should be brought to an end, and suggested that the only possible way out of the present unsatisfactory state of affairs was for Britain to have sole control of the islands. Women were being outraged, illegal recruiting was being carried on, and generally the whole position so far as the natives were concerned amounted to a state of slavery akin to the conditions that existed in the old blackbirding days.