MAORI OFFICERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 263, 7 November 1939, Page 9

MAORI OFFICERS.

NATIVE BATTALION.

DEMAND MADE BY ARAWAS.

" INFERIORITY COMPLEX,'.'

(By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.)

ROTORUA, tliis day

At a meeting held at Maketu, attended by representatives of all the Arawa sub-tribes, strong opposition was

expressed to the proposal to appoint European officers to the Maori Battalion. After the position had been fully discussed it was decided, through the Arawa Maori Returned Soldiers' Ixvtgue to inform the Miinster of Defence, Hon.

],". Jones, that the question of whether Maori volunteers will present themselves for medtical examination wild depend u|k)li a satisfactory answer to the #'Ugjjestion tiiat all officers of the lwittalioji In- Maoris, with the exception of the comnmndiiifr officer.

It was decided to recommend that the following be appointed officers of the battalion: —Officer eommandiiikg, Colonel Wilder, 0.5.0., M.C.. V.D., Captain E. Vercoe. D.S.C., and Captain G. R. Dansey, adjutant of the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the Great War.

In forwarding these recommendations to the authorities the following comment is to be appended: "It i»> felt that the moment hus arrived for the Maori people to give their spirit full expression and to free themselves from the inferiority complex by wh'ich the mana and soul of the people are being crucified."

The Arawa Maori Returned Soldiers' League has already writtesi to the Minister of Defence expressing concern at the intimation that it i* proposed to appoint European officers to the battalion, and expressing the opinion that all commissioned appointments should be made from qualified Maori returned soldiers. The letter concluded: "Unless some definite pronouncement is made immediately that the original terms for appointment of Maori officers will be rigidly adhered to, this It-ague wnnot guarantee Arawa recruits presenting themselves either for medical examination or attestation.

The Maketu meeting also expressed the opinion that there should be a greater representation of returned ■soldiers 011 the Arawa Trust, Board, tlio opinion boing expressed that young men would be more willing to enlist if tliey felt that their Interests would be safeguarded during their absence.