THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1941, 26 December 1913, Page 7

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

_ ACTION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. CABLE TO BRITISH AUTHORITIES. By Telegraph-Proas Aesoclation-Oopyrizht Melbourne, December 24. t A cable message has been dispatched i to London 'bv the Minister pi External > Affairs (Mr. Glynn), informing tho Bri- • tisli Government that there is great > interest and anxiety in Australia re--5 garding the control and administration • of affairs in the "New Hebrides. b - It is suggested the message was dis- ' patched to England for tho purpose of > ' placing tho Australian view beforo tho I Imperial authorities. fc FRENCH INDIGNATION. 5 PRESBYTERIANS ATTACKED. • Sydney, December 24. r The French community of Sydney are i indignant at tho charges leveled at i the French in connection with the condominium at tho New Hebrides. A ;■ prominent member, in an interview, de- - clared that it was only the Prcsby- - terian missionaries, who tried to pick : a quarrel. The British Resident bad > not recorded any breach of justice m ) connection with tho mixed Court, nor 3 had any British settler. On tho contrary British settlors had petitioned to ' bo put under tho so-called abominable < French rule. Tho Presbyterians pre- • sented their cause as tho Australian - ono, thinking that by flattering the as- • pirations of Australia they could foster f their own interests. Tho French mis- " sions had done, , and were still doing 1 far better work than tho Presbyterians ' in evangelising tho natives, but ho was nositivo that they did not do as well 1 in dealing with copra and other mer--3 chandiso or in selling Bibles. > TheKev.Mr. Gillon, a missionary from - the Now Hebrides, who returned to Sydr ti.ev rocentlv, makes strong charges of , maladministration and maltreatment-of - natives bv the French under the rondo. r minium system. He declares that if Englishmen did anything half as barf as ' Mine of the things the French dn they would be severely punished. The French ' can do as thev like. A condition of • thiwr* next door to slavery prevails • amongst tho French. Thev buy and sell ! nnt'vos like rnttle. It could not bf> worco i if Great Britain had no say at all.