IN SAMOA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 7

IN SAMOA.

MAU'S POSITION.

OFFICIALS OUTMANOEUVRED. CEREMONIES FOR MR, NELSON (By MARC T. GREENE.) i APIA, September 28. The Man has now succeeded in manoeuvring the Administration into an uncomfortable, not to say humiliating, position. Following the Administrator's unwise manifesto as to the Administration's intention to "enforce the laws," the natives of both islands promptly took up the challenge thus flung and held two immense "taalolos," or public gatherings of homage, to a high chief, this being the Hon. 0. F. Nelson. The first took place on September 13, and the second two weeks later, and the quantity of food offerings contributed V various villages on both Upolu and Savaii reached enormous proportions.

While the meetings between the Mau and the Administrator were going on, the laws restricting the movements of the natives "were temporarily suspended. Moreover, the Administrator, Mr. Hart, had assured various interested and quit© neutral persons that if the Mau yielded as to Mr. Nelson's at th© "fono," this was one of the irksome measures that would be abolished. It appeared, then, that all was going well, and in the view of some of the older residents the Administration was making headway with the natives in the direction of a restoration of amicable relations, and that the conciliatory attitude of the Administrator was commencing to weaken Mr. Nelson's influence with some of the leading Mau chiefs.

Enforcement of Law. Then, however, and directly against the advice of persons not only familiar with the situation, but well acquainted with native psychology, Mr. Hart made a very# unfortunate move. Becoming impatient with the devious and deliberate Samoan methods and the native disposition to contest in detail every point, he uttered what .. the Mau regarded as a veiled threat. He concluded the last conference by asserting, jand, as .they considered, with distinct unfriendliness, that "the laws would be enforced," and that if these were violated "the natives themselves, and neither Courts, . police nor Navy could be blamed." He not only made this statement to' the Samoans, but lie followed it with a formal communication to the Mau Committee embracing the same declaration. This had the immediate effect of consolidating a native organisation thought by many here to be almost on the point of disintegrating. Reported to Mr. Nelson, it brought, of course, a simple "I told you so," and all the ground the Administration had gained was lost, and even a good deal more besides.

The Administration has told the Mau that it will enforce the laws, referring, as everyone understands, specifically to the much-resented ordinance against the free movement of the islanders. This ordinance, as every fair-minded person grants, ought never to have been promulgated, and has been the source of more irritation than any other single measure. But, for the Administration to stand upon it, thx-eaten its enforcement, and then permit the Mau to hold two big meetings of homage to New Zealand's greatest foe; to permit a great number of r.atives to come all the way from Savaii with pigs and other provisions in enormous quantity, all to lay at the feet of the leader, as he sits in state at Vaimoso, in token of their unshaken allegiance to him in the face of the Administration —that is to place Mr. Hart and his assistants, and even New Zealand, itself, in the weakest position yet in native eyes. Throughout the two islands it is now common talk, and even among those formerly friendly to the Administration, that the latter is "afraid of Nelson," and Mr. Nelson's position is at the moment stronger than it ever has been. There, then, the situation stands now, and harmony appears to be farther off than ever. (To he continued.), _