1908 : Admiral Aube Is Needed at St. Pierre Miquelon to Preserve the peace.

19 décembre 1908
WON’T RECALL FRENCH WARSHIP
Admiral Aube Is Needed at St. Pierre Miquelon to Preserve the peace.
PATRIOTISM OF THE ISLAND

Debate Takes Place in the Senate Over Waving of Stars and Stripes.
Paris, Dec, 19. – There was an animated incident in the Senate this morning during the session of the Colonial Budget, regarding the recent rioting by the people of St. Pierre-Miquelon, over the quetsion of free schools. St. Pierre-Miquelon is a French islands off the coast of Newfoundland, and one feature of the demonstration was the raising of the American flag.
M. Milles-Le Croix, Minister of the Colonies, said that owning to the clearly defined separatist movement at St. Pierre, he had given the local Governor instructions to be firm, but at the same time conciliatory.
Senator Delahaye protested with energy against the aspersions thus cast upon the patriotism of the inhabitants of the Islands and charged that the manifestations where an outgrowth of the persecution of the « free schools. »
M. Delahaye was interrupted by a Senator, who called attention to the fact that the people of St. Pierre had raised the American flag, to which he replied that this had been done because the American flag was the symbol of liberty.
« No such incident has ever occurred in the older colonies, » declared Sentor Ciceron, of Guadeloupe.
« The reason is, » M Delahaye answered, « that these colonies are inhabited only by negroes. » Amid a storm of protestations Senator Lintelbac shoulted : « We should think of the color of the flag, and not that of the colonist. »
Senator Riotteau then demanded the recall of the French warship sent out to St. Pierre-Miquelon, but the Colonial Minister replied that in view of the disturbances her presence was necessary for the maintenance of the prestige of the flag.
A motion to increase the St. Pierre –Miquelon appropriation by $ 4,000 finally was adopted by the Senate.