New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-14
THE NEW-HEBRIDEs ISLANDS.
To the Editor of The Tribune

To the Editor or The tribune.
Sir: In your excellent paper this morning was
astonshed read the following: THE President
has received large number of kilograms and let
from missionaries and others urging him to
DO something TO stop the traffic in spirits and fire
with the natives of the New Hebrides ISL
ands. The State Department on which the
duty of answering the communications falls has
been obliged to reply that. although thoroughly
sympathizing with the objects of the writer's the
Department has jurisdiction in this case. owing
the that the islands are under the Joint pro
tectorate of Great Britain and France which alone
regulate the admission of foreign produce into
them
VIII the State Department inform all Interested
whose authority 1t says the islands are under
the joint protectorate of Great Britain and France"
and when It began? For 1t did not exist eight
months ago, when 1 left the New Hebrides The
natives were then under protectorate of any
civilized nation, and the many letters have since
received from England and from the islands indi-
cate change.
France wanted to annex them and passed a vote in
her Senate to turn adrift as free men and women on
the New-Hebrides hundred thousand of Frances
lowest and most hopeless criminals which so
alarmed Australia and Britain that the latter firmly
forbade it, and II not carried out Britain objects
to France anneNing the group and turning II into
great convict establishment like Caledonia at
the doors of Australia and France objects to Brit
ain anneXing the group. Hence, II remains the
hunting ground for all kdnappers and sayers who
seek for cheap labor. and the natives are at the
mercy Of any iawless trader who goes there Lately
a French paper suggested that now as Rritains
hands are ruII In her Boer war, it would be good
time for France TO annex the New Hebrides
Britain passed OF Parliament TO enable
her 10 place all her traders those islands under
strict prohibition not TO deal with the natives in
lntoNlcants ana nrearms, and why should not
Christian America pass an act of the Congress to
enable her President and the Department OF State
10 DO the same. TO prevent the many murders and
ruin so caused on the islands? ~
An agreement exists betWe N England and France
that now ana again man-Of-War Of each nation
VIII pass through the group and If an English
trader has been murdered by the saVages the Eng
lish ship Furnishes them. and If French trader has
been murdered the French ship Furnishes them: hut
the natives nave no protection by those men-of-
war. The islands. so far : / know are not an
neNed by any nation, or l would surely have hea rd
OF IL from our missionary, from our agent in
London. fear the information of the Department
OF State given above is not correct. Would that ii
were correct, for the sake OF islanders OF The
Lords work among them and of the safety of the
lives OF our missionaries and their converts I
plead with the President and Congress and tho
State Department to make more full nyestigstion
as 10 the fact, as they say OF this protectorate
which kno" dlo not lately exist, and believe
does not now exist. except to punish for the muir
derng OF subjects OF each nation-ther traders
Many murders are caused by rum and ammuni-
ton given By American traders especially by one
American trader there. and surely America can do
with her own traders what Britain has done with