A FRENCH INVASION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 10

A FRENCH INVASION

RIGHTS TO CHANNEL ISLANDS

'French'fishermen, it is leax^ned, are organising a "peaceful" expedition to establish their rights to the Minquier Islands, which, they claim, have been wrongfully appropriated by British interests in Jersey, says a Paris message to the "New York Times."

This controversy was raised in the French Chamber of Deputies last January by Deputy Geistdoerfer, who said at the time that he was not asking France to declare war. Instead, the fishermen decided on a gesture which they hope may lead to a settlement of the dispute. They have equipped a vessel in which they will sail to the largest Minquier isle off the Brittany coast.

They will carry a sectional house, which they intend to erect on Minquier soil and over which they will hoist the French Tricoloiu*. Accompanying the expedition, backed by fisher folk, will be a photogi-apher, and an oflieial painter who will record the event in oils.

The French fishermen do not claim full rights to the islands, but they say they should have equal fishing and landing rights with the British. In recent years Jerseymen have established themselves on the islands, (lying the Union Jack, and they prevented a French inhabitant from completing a house he started. The Jei-seymen, it is alleged, are attempting to collect a landing tax from the French boats using the wharf.

Nobody -knows' .what, would happen to the French expedition if the Jerseymen happenec" to resist. The Frenchmen, it is thought, will be so strong that nothing.like that will happen;