NEW HEBRIDES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 134, 3 December 1926, Page 6

NEW HEBRIDES

MISSIONARIES' VIEWPOINT

CONDOMINIUM DIFFICULTIES

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") .''DUNEDIN, This Day. The Rev. Mr. Barton, general secretary of th. Foreign Missions .Committee of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand, referring to the New Hehride. Condominium, said: "Whilesole British control has been regarded as the only fully satisfactory solution, it is recognised that tho whole position is very complicated, and the missionary authorities aro agreed that, if this objective is not attained, every effort should be made to improve and enforce the Condominium! regulations. New Zealand has been acting in close accord with Australia in this matter and the missionary bodies recently cabled to Mr. l_ruco, Prime Minister of Australia, and to Mr. Coates urging the'desirability of a full investigation on the spot. "There- aro- economic .questions Beriously affecting the whole situation, and there seems to be little doubt that' if the tariff and other arrangements—and this particularly applies to Australiawere of such character as to encourago trade between the Island and Australia and New Zealand the position of Britain would be strengthened greatly. The opposition to tho partition proposal on the part of the missionary bodies ia due to the fact that.their work—and this applies especially to Presbyterians —covers the whole group, and they naturally do not wish to abandon any \ of it. The Islands constitute an entity^ and owing -to the situation of the best. harbours and other considerations, an. equitable division would be extremely difficult. Also there might be friction resulting from the near neighbourhood of the Islands under a different jurisdiction."