DISPOSAL OF SAMOA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 46, 22 February 1918, Page 6

DISPOSAL OF SAMOA.

GERMAN INTERESTS. MUST BE KEPT OCT. The question of the disposal of Samoa, after the war came before the City Council last evening, when Mr. P. M. Jdackay moved: "That, in view of,the great public interest now being shown regarding the question of the disposal of Samoa at the conclcaion of the war. this Council j urge upon the New Zealand representa- | tivee at the forthcoming. Imperial Conference the necessity of strenuously advocating the retention in British hands of that portion of the. Samoan group taken from Germany, and that the Council and other public bodies throughout the Dominion be requested to co-operate in this direction, thereby strengthening the hands of our representatives when the time arrives for dealing with this most momentous question." In submitting the motion, he stated that he had been prompted to do so by a strong feeling which he felt assured was shared by a very large majority of the people of this Dominion, with regard to the ultimate fate of Samoa in which we, ac a community, were vitally interested. If experience taught, as it was generally supposed to do, then in the light of the \ past we should take such steps and nee i all the means at our disposal as would ! tend to prevent a recurrence of trans- | actions inimical to our safety and inter- j ests. Hitherto, owing to our distance [ from the centre of world strife, we j had enjoyed an immunity from many of j its attendant evils, thanks not so much to the wisdom of those who for the time being controlled our destiny as to the lack of forethought on the part of our enemies. That they had regretted I this lack of foresight with regard to S-amoa was aniplv proven by the utterances of leading Germans which had been recently made. It needed no great stretch of the imagination to conjure up what they would do worn the same facilities afforded them in the future as in the past, and «f had been openiy told as their aspirations with regard to Samoa should it revert to them. We would be supine, indeed, were we to remain silent under such a menace. He thought that it would be generally conceded ■ that we bad a strong claim to be considered because of the sacrifices we had made, and it behoved us to ensure, so far as we could, that this claim should, when the proper time arrived, be presented and pressed with all the force available. Eternal vigilance was the price of safety., and must be exercised by our representatives at the Imperial Conference, lest, in the great issues involved in the final settlement, this to us. one of the most important items affecting our future safety, be obscured to our detriment and danger. Mr. Entriciin seconded the motion, stating that he thought the Council was fully justified in urging the importance of the l'acilic on our representatives w..en tliey attended the Imperial Conference. Mr. Holdsworth and Mr. Nerheny both stated that, while in favour of the proposal, they were of the opinion that it *ould be time enough to consider the ■ matter when we bad won the war. i Meantime the whole of our energies should be devoted to that end. , The resolution was carried.