SAMOAN AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 232, 25 June 1921, Page 6

SAMOAN AFFAIRS

HON. E. P. LEE’S VISIT MINISTER LEFT WELLINGTON YESTERDAY The Ron. E. P. Lee. Minister of Exo ternal Affairs, left by the Main Trunk express yesterday for Auckland, where he will join the s.s. Tofua to-day for Western Samoa. The Minister will be accompanied on his visit by Mrs. Ij s ?. his private secretary (Mr. E. N. G. Poulfon), and the Secretary of the External Affairs Department (Mr. J. D. Gray), The party is duo to arrive at Sura on June 29, at Nukuolofa on July 3, at Heapai on July 5. at Varan on July 6, and at. Apia on July 7. Mr. Lee hopes to be able to spend about a fortnight in Apia., conferring with the Samoan Administrator, the officers of the Adminigtration. fhe Natire chiefs, and representatives of the European population resident in the island.

In a brief conversation with a DOMINION representative before, his departure, Mr. Lee said his visit to Samoa was due to an undertaking given during th* Parliamentary sesseion last year that the Prime Minister and he would go to Samoa in the recess to deal with a number of matters affecting the carrying out of the mandate for the government of the island by New Zealand. "Unfortunately,” said Mr. !.«■. "Mr- Massey, having to leave for the Imperial Conference in Jxmdon, was prevented from making the visit to' Samoa, but will probably do so on his return when opportunity offers. Consequently, the Government decided fhat, as Minister of External Affairs, I should go. "Many matters have arisen since the visit of tho Parliamentary party requiring attention, and the main object of my vreit is to go info these and the whole condition of affairs existing at the island, and to deal with some problems which it may bo possible to settle satisfactorily on the spot. I will return, to New Zealand by way of Sydney, where it is proposed that I should confer with a member of tho Federal Gov* ernment who is in charge of the Department which administers the mandate over German New Guinea. Another factor which has influenced my going to Sydney is that it will enable me toneturn more quickly to New Zealand than I would be able to do were I to wait for the regular island steamer."'-