Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
THE NEW HEBRIDES AGREEMENT

ambassador for France. and Sir Edward
Grey. minister for foreign
Anglo-French affairs for Great Britain
Coalition. definitely signed an agree
ment concluded on the
9th Of February OF this year, having in
view the joint organization OF government
In the New Hebrides.
When 1t is considered that of the GOO for
eign residents in the New Hebrides 100 are
French citizens, and that these latter pos
sess 100000 hectares of the 100000 total
area, almost the entire commerce. together
with the unsurpassed means of commercial
eommunica ton through the Messageries
Maritimes Company, one is surprised and
inclined to ask wherefore this unexpected
coalition of two powers heretofore exceed
ingly sensitive and jealons as TO their sep
arate colonial interests.
The question indeed has been anticipated
by the prime minister of the commonwealth
| at Melbourne, who. replying recently to a
| member OF the house. asking explanation of
what he termed extraordinary action OF
the two powers said. that: The action
was due to the attitude of third pcwcr."
winch we may assume was Germany, who
has been looking up carefully all points of
the globe which may be without duly au-
thorized occupants. The incident therefore
Is highly interesting and Instructive.
The government of the United States
must view with interest and for manifest
reasons any and all changes in the Pacific
ocean which politically and commercially
must henceforth be regarded in much the
same sense as France and England regard
the Mediterranean. Nor is the United
states alone in this feeling, for in Deem
Der, 1888, the congress of Sydney demanded
Tor the protection and profit of Australia
and all countries in the Pacific which were
without European control, the application
OF the Monroe doctrine 1t was then that
England and Germany-then in political ac-
cord-occupied and divided up the Solomon
islands and the islands of New Guinea
Since 1888 the impoIcy of that ARRANGEMENT
has become more and more apparent as the
new threaten Britain's commercial situation
in the Pacific.
The question of the New Hebrides has
passed through the following phases which
may be recalled at this mo-
managing ment with interest: English
Phases. missionaries were established
in the country before the ad-
vent of European colonists and European
Intervention: the occupation by the French
was incomplete and the neglect of the te-
tendency manifest; and finally the Anglo
French convention which from 1887 Gull
minated in 1866 in the establishment of the
Anglo-French condominiun
The New Hebrides is Il group of islands
in tn; Pacific ocean extending from latitude
l30 to 20 south and between longitude
1862 to 1902 east of Australia. The inhabi-
tants are Melanisan, or island of black -
derived from the Papone or Oceanian negro
The Spanish navigator Mendana discov-
cred the archipelago CT Santa Cruz in 1886
and Pedro Fernandez de Quieros the New
HebrideS in 1906 Later Bougainyilla yisited
the islands and after him the famous Capt
Cook. who was killed in Sandwich islands
in 1893.
La Perouse in 17ss was massacred by tie
natives of Vanikoro and the debris of his
ship was found by Dumont d'Urvile in
1873 and brought to France. These relics
are now exposed in a hall of the marine
museum of the Louvre. In 1910 consider
able commerce in sandal wood was opened
the essence of sandal finding a good market
in China. The sandal wood exhausted this
industry was replaced by another the re-
cruiting of laborers for the agricultural es-
adjustments of Queensland and the Fiji
islands
During the war of secession the culture of
cotton was undertaken with success in
these colonies but the lack of labor caused
1T to be abandoned. In 1864 the Kanakas
were induced to leave the island to sup
ply the lack of labor in the gold mines of
Australia. The enterprise, according to the
promoters, would civiliZe the savage and
thus accomplish his transformation while
rendering precious service to the colon.st
For fact under the disguise of philan-
thropic movement the labor trade" con-
than the African slave trade.
The government of Great Britain at
tempted to control the recruitment and in
augmenting the formalities to be accom-
pliShed confided the administration to the
British navy department. From 1875 the
natives undertook to avenge their wrongs
Unfortunately. and many whites were
killed and devoured. French colon:sts
from New Caledonia flowed into the New
Hebrides. England sought to profit by
what the Presbyterian missions had sown.
Australians boldly claimed that the archi-
pelago should be considered as a depend
ency of the Australian confederation. FL
nally the governments Of France and Great
Britain organized mixed naval commits
sion which was charged with the MAIN
tenance Of order and the protection of
persons and property in the New Hebrides,"
and a convention in this sense was signed
at Paris November 16. 1887.
X
Subsequently. in 1893. the British govern
ment established the Pacific Order in
Council with judicial pow
Prior ers and the French govern
Agreements. ment adopted the same
measure by decree dated
February %, 1901 Under the Anglo French
convention of April. 1884, commission was
appointed to frame regulations for the set
tement of disputes in the islands, and in
March. 1906, a tentative agreement was
signed.
The Anglo French accord of April s, 1904,
declared that The two governments have
decided to prepare an arrangement which,
without changing the political status quo.
will put an end to the difficulties resulting
from the lack of jurisdiction over the
natives of the New Hebrides.'
The principal points OF the convention OF
the Dist CT October. 1905, which has Just
appeared in the blue book are as follows:
Article 1. The archipelago Of the New
Hebrides comprising Banks and Torres will
form territory under the common control of
France and England, whose subjects and
citizens will be given equal rights Of resi-
dence and personal and commercial protec
ton. Each of the two powers is sovereign
as to its own nationals, and neither the
one nor the other may exercise separate
authority in the archipelago.
The subjects of third powers will be given
the same rights and will be submitted to
the same obligations French citizens and
British subjects. They shall choose within
six months the regime applicable to the
subjects of the or the other power. In
default of option on their part the high
commissioners mentioned in article here
CARUS0.