THE NEW HEBRIDES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16737, 19 May 1922, Page 4

THE NEW HEBRIDES.

CONDOMINIUM CRITICISED. By Telegrapte— Pres* Association —Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. SYDNEY, May 18. Mr Justice R. I>o Vcre. recently appointed British judge in the New Hebrides Condominium, was welcomed bv tho Presbyterian Assembly. He said ho recognised tho difficulties ot the position under the Condominium Government. It rested with him and the French officials to make things work smoothly and satisfactorily, and ho trusted he would lx> able to do so. Tho Assembly, dealing with the Foreign Missions report, discussed the x\ew Hebrides position. The report stated that the outlook politically was gloomy. Tho Condominium continued, with its grave injustices and irregularities. Cases of i‘legal recruiting occurred and drink .vas freely supplied' to the natives. Gambling was becoming more prevalent. There was little or no cause for complaint against the British settlers and cases against them were dealt with, but similar cases agaiust French citizens or those under French rule were condoned and even shielded. 'The report approved of tho efforts of the Prime Ministers of Australia and Ncv.v Zealand to secure complete British control of the group, and urged them, while paying due regard to French claims and susceptibilities, to continue their efforts to that end. Tho Rev W. M (lowan said that one missionary had, reported that at a heathen dance, fifty bottles of grog were 'consumed. Tho mission schools were being wrecked by the* .sale of grog. He warmly denied the statements made by a French paper that the Presbyterians had instituted a veritable system of serfdom to cultivate their own estates and that three southern islands had become a dependency of the British clergy. He regretted having to make these statements but tho French themselves had said that if they got the group the Protestant miseionairies would be expelled. He also drew attention to the increase in the number of Japanese in the islands. They now outnumbered all the Europeans in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides and more were coming. The French at first welcomed the Japanese but now would be glad to get rid of them. Would Australia, he asked, wake up too la to ?