IN NEW CALEDONIA

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1940, Page 5

IN NEW CALEDONIA

CONSIDERABLE UNREST.

AUCKLAND, September 17

‘I am convinced that there will be trouble and revilution in New Caledonia if the present situation persists,” was a statement made by one of the passengers iwho arrived at Auckland on Monday by the American Clipper. “De Gaulle committees continue to work actively for unity . with Great Britain, and for trade with New Zealand and Australia, in which they consider their salvation lies.”

Of the white population of 15,000, he said, 90 per cent, supported General ch Gaulle. The remaining 10 per cent., consisting of 20 members of the Con-sul-General, which governed the island, and of public officials known as funetionnaires who were sent out from France, adhered to the Petain Government. They strongly resented the Administration obeying orders from Vichy, which 9Q per cent, regarded as dictate*., by Germany. One of these orders ha been that all nickel production and other merchandise should He sold to Japan, and this, of all the orders received, had most inflamed the people. As a result of their actions, one ol which was a direct refusal to obey the order, the Acting-Governor, Colonel Denis, had warned the de Gualle committees about their behaviour.

The visitor mentioned the rumoured insubordination in the French sloop Dumont d’Urville, wuicli Colonel Denis was reported to have denied, The denial was published in the nowspapei “La France Australe last Saturday. H was no use, he said, making such a denial. There had been insubordination by a large number of ratings sympathetic to the de Gaulle committees. They had interfered with the sloop’s engines. Some of the natives had already been involved in the struggle between the rival factions. A very small religious group had clashed with repivsentatii es of the cldcf religion on the island, and seven natives were knon n to have be n killed.

The object of the do Gaulle committees, he continued, was to support the Allies with manpower, or any other means, to secure, the island from foreign dictation or interference, and to trade with Britain. Australia and New Zealand. The blockade. b\ the British Naw of the French coast had completely disrupted the country’s important nickel industry, and because neither New Zealand nor Australia had shipping services to the island, there was now no effective resistance to tb'' very real interest and competition of Japan. To achieve this the committees were fighting for the election of their own parliament, to appoint their own

governor, to ,sever all ties with tin, 1 petnin regime, and to create closer relationships with New Zealand and Australia, who should lie vitally interested m the welfare of the island, because of its obvious strategic importance, never made nearer than by the use <>! Noumea by Pan American Airway on their south Pacific route.