CONFIDENCE AND LOYALTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 5

CONFIDENCE AND LOYALTY.

ATTITUDE OF NATIVES. SAMOA AND NEW ZEALA.XD. COMPLETE CHANGE OF FEELING. The opinion was expressed this morning by Mr. J. D. Gray, the Under-Sccre-tury of Kxternal Affairs, -who has just j returned from Samoa, that the native, situation hail completely changed. He. instanced how a year aso the faipules., or native advisory council, had petitioned: the Xew Zealand Government that the administration of the islands should be! handed over to the Imperial Government. | At the April and June sessions held this 1 year, thie native parliament had passed two formal motions expressing loyalty to the Dominion and confidence in the present administration. On July 7 the Administrator (Colonel Tate), met the faipulea, continued Mr. Cray, and after the ceremonial kava had heen partaken of. the taitai fono. or. chairman, on behalf of the fono. addressed the oflk-ial party. He assured the Administrator of the loyalty of the faipules and Samoa to the mandate and! Xew Zealand. In the first place lie i thanked the Administrator for his address and exhortation to them at the April Kono relating to alleged misrepresentations and their effects. He made it quite clear that the faipules fully appreciated the value of his address, which fully harmonised with their own views. After referring to what Xew Zealand! had already done for Samoa, he declared his loyalty on behalf of the faipules to the Dominion and the mandate from the I-fague.