SAMOA

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 9

SAMOA

-o ■f T i er tht. rxs.5,- —One sentence in Mr Bell's letter aptly describes nearly all his statements, "The truth is." he admits. " v;e do not know this for a fact." Therefore, of course, Mr Bell's arguments are based on mere assumptions. In this way your correspondent's political philosophy seems to be hinged on an idea that men are made for institutions; not on the fact j that institutions arc made for men. I So. naturally, your correspondent be- ' lieves that it is morally right for a native race to have self-government. Undoubtedly, it would be morally right ii that native race was competent to govern itself. But by Mr Bell's I argument h would be morally right j fcr a ch.id to have self-government: j it would be morally right for a child i to have no parental control. ! New Z: band's occupation of Samoa > is. act- to Mr Bel!, morally j vrc-"?. because it is related to■ sup'T-r;- m.:Jrary nigh'. So. in order to"t'-at ethical principle, it was pointed out that the Maori had no moral right r.t New Zealand because he conquered the country by suppressing the Moriori; and similarly, the pakeha had no moral right in New Zealand because lie conquered the Maori. But it transpires that if Mr Bci! did not refrain from a general application ot his ethical principles, they would soon be lost by evaporation. Therefore, your correspondent dodges the argument by quoting an aphorism. "But surely," he says, "it is better to be guilty of one crime than of two." Quite so, it is far belter. Now. according to Mr Bell. New Zealand has committed or.e moral i crime: she is supposed lo occupy ; Samoa by military might. But if! New Zealand left the Samoan natives to their own resources, she would be guilty of two mon.l crimes; nay. she would be guilty of a hundred moral crimes. However, it is better to be held guilty for cr.s? crime than for two. There fere, according to Mr Bell's | own argument, it is better for New j Zealand to continue governing Samoa, j "Has 'Apia' ever considered all the peoples in the world, besides the I Sr.moans. who need cur help?" arci:e< Mr Bell. "Why pick on the Samoans?" Primarily, because the Sanies:: mandate was conferred on New Zealand. However, your correspondent asserts that the primary object of our occupation is "to prevent the Japanese obtaining a Looting there." He makes no effort to prove his assertion; but", oven if it were correct, our occupation could still bo justified by h;s own argument. Toe Japanese have no moral right to occupy Samoa by military might. New Zealand has already indulged in one crime. But if she allowed Japanese military aggres.-ion in Samoa, she would be guilty of two crimes. Therefore, New Zealand must prevent Japanese aggression in Samoa. New Zealand's administration :n Samoa has certainly possessed eiefrctf-: but the chief cause of the Sr.rnean dissensions cannot be attributed to errors made by the administration. However, your correspondent makes a swoepmg accusation 10 the effect that the New Zealand administration of Samoa is merely a continuation of Prussian militarism. It was scarcely expected that Mr Bell would make a statement so ra-h: it was scarcely expected, even thouch hus arguments have been absurd. Fivco Prussian militarism into i Samoa on some ethical reason*. Euro- ■ pr;:•! mtervo;llion was required be- | c;u.-e the natives wore murdering each j ..•her in bloodthirsty tribal wars. Bui ( Now Zealand has improved the living j standard of the natives; she has a!- ] ready given them some representation j on ihc Samoan Legislative Council; | sod she has put the islands under the j jurisdiction of the New Zealand Supreme Court. | In conclusion. :t seems necessary ,o point out to Mr Bet! that if he truly desires to throw hsht on Samoan d;ificultics, it would be much, better u he adopted a reluible system of reasoning. It would be much better if he reasoned from the general to toe particular, if he considered all the Ssmoan difficultics and then began a rearer. fcr causes —\ ours. c *c-. March 24. li'lH.