SAMOAN MANDATE

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 9

SAMOAN MANDATE

REPORT OP COMMISSION.

RECEIVED BY THE ASSEMBLY.

(prom our own correspondent.) LONDON, September 27,

The Samoan Mandate had, what might be termed, its final appearance at Geneva last week when the special committee, which deals with the Mandates referred to it by the Assembly, received, the report of the Mandates Commission.

Sir James, Parr represented New Zealand on the Committee, and had with him Sir George Richardson. • Sir James referred to the worldwide expanse of the mandates system. Palestine had been mentioned, Iraq, South Africa, and Persia. The Committee was engaged on a very important duty, and after close acquaintance with the work of the system, in his judgment, it was working out satisfac? torily and with success. He paid a tribute of respect. to the Mandates Commission for the very excellent and thorough work it was doing. The system of a Power, instead of taking the territory to itself, being made a trustee and the guardian supervisor by the League of Nations, was a thing which had been unknown in the history of the world. He could not speak too highly of the honesty of purpose and the great care with which the Mandates Commission investigated every incident in mandated territories. The world should know that the Mandates Commission was not a body of nonentities, but that it consisted of experienced men, many of whom had been Governors of Colonial territories, and others distinguished in many ways. He willingly paid a tribute to" the success of the system., and to the tact and thoroughness of the Mandates Commission. He felt that it would be ungracious, as one of the representatives of the Powers, if he did not at the same time express his satisfaction with the work done by the secretariat of the Mandates Commission, and by the distinguished secretary, who was no countryman of his, he was bound to confess, but, in his humble opinion, there was no more capable or more competent man to be found for the job. Firm Action. He welcomed the remarks that had been made in regard to Samoa. There had been some little difficulty there. It was quite clear that the New Zealand Government, instead of being harsh, had been easy-going with' the natives. Its attitude had been one of utmost benevolence as regarded .neir health, education, and welfare. However, this had not been appreciated as it might have been, he would not say by the natives, but by a handful of agitators who had worked up mischief. Happily, the whole system had been investigated and the truth of the position was known. He particularly welcomed the remarks made by M. Rap; pard, and agreed that it was the duty of the Mandatory Power to govern with firmness. And he welcomed the dispelling of the idea which obtained in many quarters that the Mandatory Power was precluded from firm action. This statement would have a very valuable effect in the Pacific Ocean. Dealing with the question of liquor, the speaker said that they.had adopted a quite drastic svstem in Samoa—total Prohibition for white and black. They had preferred to consider the interests of 40,000 natives to whom incalculable harm would be done by allowing any liquor system. Naturally, that did not please the white population and there was dissatisfaction on that account. But the New Zealand Government was resolved to maintain universal Prohibition in Samoa in the Interests of tte natives. In his opinion

the dominant idea was the interest of the native population. # _ The Assembly, in receiving the report agreed that the Administration of Samoa was, on the whole, perfectly in accordance with the spirit of the Mandate. .