NEW HEBRIDES.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 19 May 1922, Page 1

NEW HEBRIDES.

NO COMPLAINT AGAINST THE BRITISH. Per Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, May 18. The Assembly, dealing with the Foreign Missions report, discussed the New Hebrides position. The report stated that the outlook politically was gloomy. The Condominium continued with its grave injustices and irregularities; cases of illegal recruiting occurred, drink was freely supplied to the natives and gambling was becoming more prevalent. There was little or no cause for complaint against the British settlers, and the cases against them were dealt with, but similar cases against the French citizens or those under French rule were condoned and even shielded.

The report approved the efforts of the Prime Ministers of Australia and New 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. The Rev. McGowan said that one missionary reported that at a heathet: dance 50 bottles of grog were consumed and that mission schools were being wrecked by the sale of grog. He warmly denied the statements made by a French paper that Presbyterians had instituted a veritable serfdom to cultivate its own estates, and that three Southern Islands had become a dependency of the British clergy. ’ He regretted having made these statements but the French themselves had said that if they got the group the Protestant missionaries would be expelled. JAPS OUTNUMBER EUROPEANS. He also drew attention to the growth of the Japanese in the Islands. They now outnumbered all Europeans in New Caledonia and New Hebrides, and more were coming. The French at first welcomed them, but now they would be glad to get rid of them. Would Australia, he asked, wake up too late? CONDOMINIUM DIFFICULTIES. SYDNEY, May 18. Mr Justice Devers, recently appointed British Judge under the New Hebrides Condominium, was welcomed by the Presbyterian Assembly. He said that he recognised the difficulties of the position under Condominium Government. It rested with him and the French officials to make things work smoothly and satisfactorily, and he trusted that he would be able to do so.