SAMOAN ADMINISTRATION

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17428, 12 April 1922, Page 3

SAMOAN ADMINISTRATION

CORRESPONDENT AND COMMISSIONER., The "Sydney Daily Telegraph's" London representative, Mr John Sandes has been engaged, says that; paper in a year's fight with the New Zealand High Commissioner, Sir James Allen, in connexion with the administration of Samoa. Mr Sandes stated, after a visit to Samoa as special representative of the Australian Press Association on the occasion of the tour of the Prince of Wales, that the native community had prepared a petition praying thatthe mandate should be transferred from New Zealand to Great Britain. Sir James Allen replied asking for the i grounds, on. which the statement was made, as enquiries made in Samoa failed to substantiate it. Mr Sandes replied on March 17th, 1921, giving detailed particulars of discontentin the island embodied in a mass of correspondence in his possession. With reference-" "'to~ the petition) Mr Sandes quoted from a letter he had received from a. leading member,pf ijtbe Samoan wWte cbmmum%:-^ ; .''" "TJpon Colonel Tate'» arrival -a petition was handed him by, .the natives; requesting that the Administrator,' who was' away on Taxation, bo not allowed to return to. Samoa. They said that, their .hearte were, turned away from Great Britain on aooomi* of their weal'' calamity in which they lost fathers,* mothers, sisters, brothers, and' other kindred. They prayed that those responsible (for the introduction of the epideimV should take care of thtir orphans, -and said that if they were to ha under British rule'they preferred to be governed by England and not by New Zealand. The natives were persuaded to .withdraw this petition'on the promise that a obmmiesion would be appointed to enquire into ( the matter, and the responsible parties punished." Receipt of the letter from Mr Sande* was acknowledged by' "the Department, but no further reply was sent till he wrote again. - In. this -lejtter Mr, Sandes said:— "The existence of the natives' petition yd* discovered by Mr K P. Lee, New Zealand Minister for External Affairs, when he visited Samoa on a mission of enquiry last July. "Mr Lee induced the chiefs to withdraw the petition temporarily, but it was afterwards presented to the King. His Majesty's reply to the petition appears in The Times' of November 10th, 1921. • , "It is now proved by facts that the High Commissioner's information on the point in aueetion in March last was incorrect, and that my information! was oorrect. 'ln these circumstances," concluded Mr Sandes, "I ask for a withdrawal of the imputations contained in your letter of March 14th, 1921." The Department replied saying that the letter to Mr Sandes had merely stated the position at the time. Mr Sandes wrote again demanding the withdrawal of the imputations as they were injurious to his character and reputation as a ■journalist. The Department then replied: "The High Commissioner wishes you to clearly understand that no imputation or charge whatever was made against, you .by this Department nor any declaration that your article was incapable of substantiation. Mr Sandes, replying under date January 31st, 1922, had tno last word in the controversy. He stated that he was glad to have the assurance of the High Commissioner that in his letter of March 14tb, 1921, "no imputation was made or implied." -' "As the High Conunissioner is now good' enough to ssy that "in view of the receipt of a petition to hi* Majesty the Kin? the statement (that euoh a petition w«e »a preparation) is drown to have had some foundation,' he admits that the enquiries of a visiting journalist who was in Apia for : cnly half a day were more effective in eliciting the true position than the enquiries instituted in Samoa by the New Zealand Government in a matter in which its own administration was deeply concerned "That being the interpretation which, as it now afppeara, 1 abonld bavo placed on your letter of March 14th—although that letter reached me after the express denial by the Government of New Zealand in. the New ; Zealand Parliament of the facts stated in ; my article—l receive with satirfaction the , High Commissioner's assurance that he was , merely asking me for information whiob the Government of New Zealand had not been j able to obtain from, its own officiate in . Samoa."