SACRED TRUST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 143, 20 June 1927, Page 7

SACRED TRUST.

SAMOAN MANDATE.

Minister's Plain Advice To

Agitators.

LAST CHANGE GIVEN.

(By Cable—Press Association.—Copyright)

SUVA, June 19.

In the course of his visit to the Islands, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister in charge of the Cook Islands, received several deputations in connection with the administration of the mandate.

In an interview the Minister said he had met six European delegates, a Citizens' Committee, six native chiefs and about 1000 natives at Apia.

They referred to a petition sent to the President of the German Parliament in Berlin in 1910, covering, in almost identical language, the same grounds as tho present attack on the Administration.

The signatures included those of two of the deputation which waited upon Mr. Nosworthy.

A petition was received by the Minister from the Faipules in favour of the present Administration and of the good works it had done, and asking that certain Europeans who were endeavouring to foment dissatisfaction should be made to cease their interference.

When the King's Birthday celebrations were in progress agitators organised a rival sports meeting.

Mr. Nosworthy condemned this action nnd said he was prepared to take drastic steps to stop it. He said he was satisfied the present Administration was acting in the host interests of all. The agitation was not prompted by any regard for the real interests of the natives.

Any success, due to misrepresentation, of the efforts to disunite and upset a fine race like the Samoans, would be criminal and deserve to be treated as a crime.

The New Zealand Government had accepted the mandate as a sacred trust

The Planters' Association assured Mr. Nosworthy it dissociated itself from the Citizens' Committee.

The Minister told Mr. Kelson, one of the deputation, that if further agitation took place the Citizens' Committee would be held directly responsible. He would give it a reasonable and a fair time in which to undo the trouble. He was not going to have the wool pulled over bis eyes, and he was giving the committee the first and the last reasonab!e chance to undo the intrigue and stop the further action that was threatened.

Mr. Kosworthy later received a wireless message from the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, to the effect that the Samoan immigration order had been amended to enable the Administrator of Samoa, as directed by tho Governor, to order any person to leave Samoa if the Administration was satisfied that person was disaffected, disloyal or likely to be a source of danger to the peace, order and good government of the territory.

The Minister was entertained to luncheon by the Suva Chamber of Commerce. The gueste included the Governor, Sir Eyre Huteon, and the Chief Justice, Sir A. K. Young.