SAMOA TROUBLE

Evening Star, Issue 19617, 25 July 1927, Page 6

SAMOA TROUBLE

♦- BILL TO PROCEED TO-MORROW ALL-NIGHT SITTING EXPECTED OPPOSITION TO DEPORTATION POWERS. [From Oub Paeliamextaet Rbpoetes.] WELLINGTON, July 25. The Government has decided to proceed with the committee stage of the Samoa Bill on Tuesday, and there is likely to bo a long discussion, as the Labor Party will make every endeavor to modify the clauses relating to tho powe? of deportation without the form of trial u.snid in other offences. The Government, on tho ether hand, will adhere to the Bill, as it considers that ordinary trial is impossible under the circumstances, but that a safeguard is afforded by the procedure of submitting confirmation, of sentence to the Governor in Council, which gives an opportunity for careful review by those not directly concerned An all-uigbt sitting is predicted. “FIRE AND SLAUGHTER" SPEECH MINISTER'S ATTITUDE DEPRECATED CHARGES OF HIGH-HANDEDNESS REITERATED. [Special to xn* ‘ Stab.T AUCKLAND, July 25. A reply to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. Nosworthy) on the Samoan situation was made by Mr R. 0. Clark, principal to Wesley Training College, Paerata. Air Clark, who visited Samoa recently, expressed Ins views in a letter to the Press on I'ndav, and the Minister took the matter up" the same day and wrote an open letter to Air Clark. In his further letter to-day Mr Clark states that his. visit to Samoa was comparatively recent, being made about a fortnight ago. “ I had, however, he said, “ the opportunity of hearing many sides of the question from those who felt strongly on cither side. I did meet and hear tho viewpoint of most of the persons mentioned by Mr Nosworthv but the Administrator and the Rev. Mr Lewis were at the time away. Few mandated countries are governed more zealously than Samoa even the members of the Af.au (Opposition) do not dispute this—but zealous government is nob necessarily wise government, and by the extreme, sensitiveness to an intolerance of criticism, together with a certain high-handedness born of the autocratic powers of the Administrator, the greater part (generally admitted as over three-quarters) ot the natives are violently opposed to the Government, which desires only thou own good, but in its own automatic Wa “ 'l am convinced that the root of tho trouble is not trade, though doubtless our trade methods have created opposition in certain quarters; nor is it Prohibition. I was definitely, told by one authoritative person mentioned by Air Nosworthy that the Administration could carry all this and more, provided only they moved cautiously and wisely. “ 6uo thing on which I feel I can speak with personal, knowledge is the general disapproval in Fiji and American Samoa of the Minister's Samoan speech, which breathed out fire and slaughter where it was believed that a spirit of conciliation would have done much more good. Causes flourish on martyrdom, and all this talk of banishment and deportation may stifle, but will not allay the growing discontent. The Alimstcf must know that the feeling grows stronger with every highhanded action of the Administrator. To deport Nelson, Smyth, and tho rest is simply to surround them with a halo of sanctity which they would never otherwise gain. Even if this action succeeded in repressing the discontent, it would leave a feeling among the Samoans that they are a subject people, with no voice but that wiiich pleases the Government, /incl no right bub that of obedience. It would mean sooner or later our being forced to relinquish these territories to either Downing street or Germany.”