FRANCE IN THE NEW HEBRIDES

West Coast Times, Issue 10430, 8 December 1896, Page 4

FRANCE IN THE NEW HEBRIDES

The news which comes from Sydney •ibout the New Hebrides is rather disquieting. France is obtaining altogether too much influence in the islands for the possible future comfort of Australia, and Lo quote a remark made by Mr Mitchell, Manager of the Australasian New Henri<les Company at Vila, "if Australia >eally wants to hold up its end in the N"ew Hebrides it will have to support commercial enterprise there just as the French Government is doing." In the course of a long Statement as to the conlition of affairs in the group, Mr Mitchell •<aid the subsidy of £15,000 granted by f,he French Government to the French trading company in the group to promote French influence and widen its trade relations was having a material effect. Much •if the money was being used to attract French immigrants, and as the population in course of time would thus be largely French, it is believed that when the question of annexation comes up again France will point to the increase of settlement and <he area of land occupied by French colonists as. unanswerable arguments in favor of French rule. Much of the trade is now done by the French, who largely outnumber the British, leaving the missionaries out of the question. The French Company is rapidly turning Vila, the chief town in the groqp, into a French township ; Frenchmen are takiqg up all the land they can get, they practically own the best harbor in the islands, and whereas there are only two British plantations on the islands, those belonging to Frenchmen number fifty. The British are at a disadvantage compared with tqeir rivals in several points. ' They are not permitted to engage labour from other islands, whereas the French can, and do so, whe<*ef ore the Britisher has to engage his labour through his French neighbour. British subjects are also forbidden to sell irearms or spirits to the natives. The latter, however, do not have to go without theqe luxuries ; they earn money from the Englishman and then go, and buy guns or grog from the Frenchman. The Englishmen do not want to sell these articles to tht natives, but they do want the regulations, which interdict them to apply equally to the French. The point dwelt upon by Mr Mitchell was that if the islands are allowed to become peopled by French men and women, and inoculated with ideas as to French influence, they will become practically French. '' Why," he asked, " should not the Australian Governments, which are so vitally interested in the New Hebrides, combine to subsidise a company, just as the French are doing 2 .The,n the tvfo nationalities would stand qn equal terms. But the worst of it is that while the Australian Governments won't hear of French an tiexation if they can prevent it, yet they wil| do nothing to counteract French influence." It is possible, but hardly probable, that the colonies will spend money in the direction suggested especially as the Australian trade with the group oomeß to Sydney, but the matter Is one which may yet be forced upon the attention of Australia, when affairs will be found to have gone too far to be easily altered. — Pkkss.