"ALARMIST REPORTS"

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 65, 17 March 1928, Page 10

"ALARMIST REPORTS"

:, LIVES' -NOT... IN DANGER STATEMENT BY MR; COATES .\- Tho'pi'csciit ''position of .affairs in SawoiiSvaW.'fully considered at. a meeting of .".Cabinet .to-dajv It . is- understood .that members of.the Cabinet had before'-Ih'o'm 'reports from ' the Administrator'arid officialsI;'.who' recently visite4,,Sanioa. (.Polloxviiig the inectingj the,.-Prime.;Minister: (thovEight Hon.' J. G. Coates) made the following statement':- 73 .•'■'- '•; ;''..,'!"' . . . '. While.the Government are not yet ■ . . ablo-to-make.a.full, statement as-to the position of; affairs in Samoa and as .to their immediate , intontions, 1 „! ■wisiv. the -public of New Zealand to /.understand that the. alarmist-.reports that Jiave be.en, recently circulated „Jrom..iinpfficial sources in.Samoa aro ... greatly...exaggerated, My. informa/...1i0n.7'is .that, notwithstanding. Uio : activities., of. the Mau, there does not .appear to. be any present danger til! a, breach, of the peaeoiu Samoa. Provocative .'and „ illtinf orincd com- . wonts.,on...th,o .position aro not, of ' course, helpful in.maintaining peace, bu^iivea aiid '.property in Samoa are ■ „.to.-day'.'iiot.in, jeopardy.,.. -. ..-''"' .The.-latgb.numbers of Mau adhcr-'.-.Bnta.'.'wJioLhad.gathered in Apia, have .now^cligporsed' to their homes, and, while I. do" riot wish to be understood as jmplyirig .that the position in .••., Sanjipa i3, yet-satisfactory or that the law is being complied with, I can see.no reason why, in tho absence of niischioVous' interference, any breach of'th'p a peace .should Occur. ' ■ . . As: soon_ as the Government nr.o in a position* to do so, they will make a . (tetaile'd'announcement of any action they may decido to take.