THE SAMOAN MANDATE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19153, 9 November 1927, Page 11

THE SAMOAN MANDATE.

■ * LONDON PRESS COMMENT. IMPORTANCE OF COMMISSION'S REPORT. (bt cable—fbiss association— coptbight.) (AUSTRALIAN AND N-Z- CABLB ASSOCIATION.) (Received November Bth, 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, November 7. "The Times,"' in a leader, savs: "There are no questions as to the wisdom or inevitability of the Mandates Commission's decision to await the Samoa Commission's report before arriving at judgment on the present troubles. "Mr Ooates took the right course in appointing a Commission whose members were universally approved. The only "substantial criticism is that- the Commission was not appointed earlier." ''The Times" adds: "It is important for all mandatory Powers to remember how valuable the Mandates Commission is becoming as tho repository of colonial experience and the living link between the Governments who need to profit by each other's lessons. The value of a document like tho forthcoming Samoan report will not be limited to the mandate with which it is concerned. ''The Mandates Commission does not enjoy wide powers of action, but is dependent for its usefulness upon the goodwill of the mandatories to its recent notification.

"The Mandates Commission would be glad to have bound copies of the Samoan mandatory laws brought up to date. The Administration replied that it had none to spare. It seems clearly worth while that the Administration should print and even bind a few extra sheets to enable the Commission more competently to fulfil its duties."