La Tribune de Madagascar
- The French Family in the Colonies
- No Hesitation
- ACTION
La Tribune de Madagascar's front page of 9 October 1926 mixed colonial advocacy, a note on the island's Chinese community and a sharp local editorial. In a signed column, Dr Koun argued that the colonies were extensions of French soil where French families could settle, keep their 'racial strength' and even regain it, and the page pictured settler family life and sport-loving youth in Hanoi. A short item reported that the Chinese Congregation had explained to a Chamber of Commerce why it had taken a decision about admitting fellow Chinese, pointing to alleged links with the Chinese Communist Party, which it distinguished from the nationalist party it supported. The editorial 'DES ACTES' attacked the capital's sleepy municipal authorities over dirty streets, rubbish left lying for days and spreading slums, and warned that taxpayers might copy Majunga's tax strike unless their health was protected.
Translation
The French Family in the Colonies
[…colo]nials, civil or military, responsible for many human lives, to say how our colonies, with their powerful and varied appeal, are extensions of the soil of France; how, following a cautious but sure progression, the French family can establish itself there, adapt itself there without losing anything of its racial strength, and sometimes even regain its vigour there. Enough looking back, except to contemplate the comforting spectacle of our glories and our virtues! The future of France lies in part in the development of our colonies, made physically and morally healthy.
Dr KOUN.
[…] Remarks from everywhere
There is a settler crisis in New […]
No Hesitation
[…] and […]ound [?], and there, as in our old [c]olonies, these are large [?] families. Social life, easier and more brilliant, does not excuse the mother from watching over the physical [and] moral health of the children; and when, at the end of his work — for he does work — the father returns to the family home, he smiles at the bed of [flow]ers that surrounds him. Have you seen the cafés of Hanoi? Apart from the presence of a few idlers [?], they would be deserted most of the time, were it not for their adaptation to the needs of today's youth, who dance because they are sporty. Tennis courts, football, bicycles, motorcars — nothing is lacking to keep for the youth of France, born or […]
No hesita[tion]
The Chamber of Commerc[e of Tamata]ve was informed, toward the end of the […], that the Chinese Congrega[tion …] admitted into its group[ing] their co-religionists. The Chinese Congregation [sets out as] follows the reasons for which it took this decision:
“1. Because of their […] their political tendencie[s] […] which authorizes it to suspect […] […]tions owing to their rela[tions with the] Chinese Communist party, […] which must not be confu[sed with the] republican nationalist party [of which it] is honoured to form part;
“2. Because of the presen[…]”
ACTION
[…] a considerable sum […]pensated. […] on the commercial horizon of the Soviets […] to the Franco-Soviet delegation […] work interrupted. The […]s are concerned about the [Pol]ish […] following the pact recognizing the claims […] Vilna. The Soviet press […] of warlike preparations […] to seek a pretext for […] present internal [diffic]ulties […] the Soviets are seeking a […]. […] of MM. of the Council at Mauritius […] question of the contract of the [Messageries M]aritimes, which is said to have suffered […] of a “pe[nalty]” clause […] demanded by the Govern[ment] […] refused by the Compa[gnie des Messag]eries Maritimes. We […] this difficulty will be […] the convenience of […] assured of a twice-monthly service […] for the convenience of the […]. From Le Radical.
[…] municipalities do not want to wake up. A regrettable drowsiness for the community. Caveant consules, for the taxpayers of the Malagasy capital are by no means disposed to play “Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant”; far from it, they pay, and they even pay very dearly, to be inadequately served. But human patience has limits which it would be prudent not to exceed, and we might, purely by way of advice, recall the protest of the people of Majunga who, having to express their discontent, quite simply went on tax strike. The town is dirty; we want a clean town; the street-cleaning service, the heaps of household refuse lie stagnant for days and days on the public way; sweeping is not preceded by watering. We demand that this cleaning be done better; slums pile up and are added to slums; we demand that the regulations on unhealthy dwellings be strictly enforced. If you want to collect taxes without difficulty, ensure a healthy life for our fellow citizens, protect them against disease.
Context
Dr Koun's column and the pronatalist case for colonial settlement
Dr Koun's column voices arguments that were widespread in the interwar pronatalist movement. It claims that the colonies were 'extensions of the soil of France' where the French family could settle without losing its 'racial strength', and might even regain it. Historian Margaret Andersen explains the background. Over the nineteenth century, demographic studies showed the French birthrate falling, and concerned citizens feared that France was heading towards depopulation. Pronatalists concluded that true demographic strength required large-scale settlement of the colonies as well as financial support for French families, both in France and across the empire. They studied the comparatively high birthrates of colonial settlers and took ideas from demographic policies introduced in the empire. Andersen also wrote a 2010 article in French Historical Studies on pronatalism and colonial medicine in Madagascar specifically, which is the setting of this column, written by a doctor for a Madagascar paper. The column's language about race and about colonies made 'physically and morally healthy' is the author's own argument. The scholarship explains why such arguments were common at the time. It does not show that their health claims were correct.
The Chinese of Tamatave and the communist question
Only the ending '…ve' survives of the name of the Chamber of Commerce that received the Chinese Congregation's statement. It was most plausibly the Chamber at Tamatave, the east-coast port where Chinese settlement in Madagascar began. The first Chinese migrant arrived there in 1862. By 1904 the whole island had only 452 Chinese residents, 315 of them in the east, and the 1911 census counted 649. Chinese traders were therefore a small mercantile minority concentrated on the coast, which helps explain why a local Chamber of Commerce paid attention to whom their association admitted. The Congregation's reasoning is revealing. It said it suspected certain compatriots because of their ties to the Chinese Communist party, which it insisted must not be confused with the 'republican nationalist party' it was proud to belong to. The split between nationalist loyalists and alleged communists lasted within the community: a later Chinese school at Toamasina was founded by parents who had withdrawn their children from the Kuomintang school, and these parents were alleged to be communists. The item breaks off during the second reason, before it says what the Chamber or the paper wanted done.
The 1921 plague and unequal health controls
Health rules in early 1920s Madagascar already sorted residents by race, which gives context both to the Chinese item and to the sanitation editorial. Plague entered the island through the port of Toamasina in 1898 and appeared on the central highlands in 1921 in its pneumonic form. During the July 1921 epidemic, 'natives and Asians without exception' were forbidden to leave the capital, while Europeans were allowed to travel after ten days of observation. After the sanitary cordon was lifted in August 1921, Europeans could move freely, while Malagasy had to carry a health passport. Historian Faranirina Esoavelomandroso, as summarised in L'Express de Madagascar, argues that pressure from Tananarive's merchants counted for more than hygiene in how these movement controls were designed. The passport requirement was eased for people coming from uncontaminated areas only from October 1930, so the regime was still in force when this issue appeared in 1926.
Why 'DES ACTES' tied taxes to public health
'DES ACTES' demanded proper street cleaning, the removal of household refuse left for days, watering before sweeping and strict enforcement of the rules on unhealthy dwellings, and it linked tax collection directly to protecting residents from disease. That argument carried weight in a capital that had been through a series of epidemics, including cerebrospinal meningitis, plague and Spanish influenza. After these outbreaks the authorities granted Dr Georges Girard, of the Institut Pasteur in the capital, the funds he needed. The editorial presented sanitation as part of a bargain between taxpayers and the municipality: residents paid heavily and expected healthy living conditions in return. Its reminder that the people of Majunga had gone on tax strike is the paper's own account. It used that account as a warning to municipal authorities that, in its words, did not want to wake up.
Original
La famille française aux colonies
niaux, civils ou militaires, responsables de nombreuses vies humaines, de dire comment nos colonies, avec leur attrait puissant et varié, sont des prolongements du sol de France; comment, suivant une progression prudente mais sûre, la famille française peut s'y fonder, s'y adapter sans rien perdre de sa puissance raciale, parlois même s'y relever. Assez de regards en arrière, sauf pour y contempler le réconfortant spectacle de nos gloires et de nos vertus! L'avenir de la France est en partie dans la mise en valeur de nos colonies physiquement et moralement assainies. Dr KOUN. propos de partout Il y a crise de colons à la Nouvelle
Pas d'hésitation
et ondent et là, comme dans nos vieilles olonies, ce sont des familles nom [?] us. La vie mondaine, plus facile, plus rillante, ne dispense pas la mère de eiller à la santé phys [?] que [?] morale des ens; et quand à l'issue de son travail, ar il travaille, le père rejoint la maion familiale, il sourit au parterre des urs qui l'entoure. Avez-vous vu les cafés d'Hanoi? A art la présence de quelques acagnars, ils seraient déserts le plus souvent, était leur adaptation au besoin de la eunesse actuelle qui danse parce qu'elle t sportive. Jeux de tennis, foot-balls, bicyclets, automobile, rien ne manque pour arder à la jeunesse de France, née ou Pas d'hésita La Chambre de commerc ve fut informée, sur la fin du que la Congrégation chinoi admis dans son groupem leurs coreligionnaires. La Congrégation chinoise qu'il suit les raisons pou elle prit cette décision: «1 ° En raison de leur - «leurs tendances politique «qui l'autorise à suspecter r «tions du fait de leurs rela «parti Communiste chinoi «qu'il ne faut pas confon «parti nationaliste républic «s'honore de faire partie; «2 ° En raison des présen
DES ACTES
une somme considérapensée. s à l'horizon commercial des soviets à la délégation franco-soviétitravaux interrompus. Les ues sont préoccupés de la onaise consécutive au pacte reconnaissant les prétentions Vilna. La presse soviétique e de préparatifs belliqueux pour chercher prétexte à ultés actuelles intérieures e les soviets cherchent une rat des M. M. du Conseil à Maurice uestion du contrat des aritimes, qui aurait subi ait d'une cause de «péigée par le Gouvernerefusée par la Compageries Maritimes. Nous ette difficulté sera bienr les convenances du uré d'un service bi-menour la commodité des ys. Du Radical. nicipalités ne veulent pas s'éveiller. Somnolence fâcheuse pour la collectivité. Caveant consules, car les contribuables de la Capitale madécasse ne sont nullement disposés à jouer le Ave Cœsar moriturite salutant; loin de là, ils payent et ils payent même très cher pour être insuffisamment servis. Mais la patience humaine a des bornes qu'il serait prudent de ne pas dépasser et nous pourrions, à titre de simple avis, rappeler la manifestation des Majungais qui, ayant à manifester leur mécontentement, ont tout bonnement fait la grève de l'impôt. La ville est sale, nous voulons une ville propre; le service du nettoiement de la voie publique, les dépôts d'ordures ménagères stagnent des jours et des jours sur la voie publique; le balayage n'est pas précédé de l'arrosage. Nous demandons que ce nettoiement [?] oit mieux fait; les taudis s'accumulent et s'ajoutent aux taudis; nous réclamons que les règlements sur les logements insalubres soient strictement appliqués. Si vous voulez récolter sans difficultés l'impôt, assurez une vie saine à nos concitoyens, protégez-les contre la maladie.