SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR SAMOA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 236, 18 July 1947, Page 3

SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR SAMOA

VIEWS OF INDIVIDUALS CANVASSED WORK OF UNITED NATIONS MISSION APIA, July 16. The Australian Associated Press correspondent at Apia says that official messengers are travelling round the islands of Western Samoa notifying remote villages of the impending visit of the United Nations mission and calling on any persons who wish to do so to come forward and ‘state their views on the issue of self-govern-ment.

Representations made to the mission at Apia have been virtually confined to representatives of communities and organisations such as missionary bodies. Individuals generally have shown very little inclination to come forward Samoans whether for or against immediate self-government inevitably leave everything in the hands of their chiefs while Europeans and part Europeans have been content to delegate a citizens' committee to place their case for self-government after a minimum of 10 years’ training of Samoan officials before the mission. Confidence Won Whatever conclusions may be reached in the mission’s report to the Trusteeship Council, there is no question that the mission has won the confidence of every section. Comment is often heard that the only disappointed people are those of the Faipule who seemed to hold the idea that within a matter of days of the mission s arrival Samoan Government officials might be occupying the offices vacated by the present Administration. Indeed, it is not saying too much to state that a number of Samoan leaders, before the issuing of the mission’s statement on the scope of its investigations, had only a hazy idea of the working of the United Nations Organisation in general and of the trusteeship system in particular. A large number of Samoans, who came to'Apia from outer districts last week in expectation of spectacular developments, have mostly returned to their homes to await the mission’s visit. Off-duty members oT the mission have been busily buying a stock of tropical clothes. Some are finding the heat of Apia even in the present cool season greater than they expected.