IRON HEEL REGIME

Evening Star, Issue 19795, 20 February 1928, Page 11

IRON HEEL REGIME

MR HOLLAND ON SAMOA DESPATCH OF WARSHIPS DEPLORED [Per United Press Association.] WHANGAREI, February 19. It was not until after his meeting at Whangarei that Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, learned definitely that the Dunedin and Diomede had been ordered to Samoa. Mr Holland has handed the following statement to the Press in relation to the incident;— “The Government’s action is extremely ill-advised, and will probably only serve to inflame the position in Samoa. The people of New Zealand have been told repeatedly that the deportation of Mr O. F. Nelson and his colleagues would mean an end of the trouble in Samoa. Indeed, more than one misleading report has been sent out conveying the idea that matters had commenced to settle down. After the departure of Messrs Nelson and Smyth exactly the contrary was the case, however, and the real effect of the deportations lias been further to incense the Samoans. The sending of warships to Samoa may have the effect of precipitating trouble, and it would have been much better if the Government had taken a sensible way out of the difficulty. A return to normal conditions can be secured only by an abandonment of the ‘ big stick ’ policy. Deportation and banishment orders should cease, and the deported Samoans and Europeans should be allowed to return to their homes. General Sir George Richardson should be recalled without delay, and the people of Samoa should bo notified that the promises made to them in the name of New Zealand would be honored—that we will recognise the right of the Samoan people to an effective voice in the government of their own country; and, finally, that there will bo an application of the principles of justice, with the right of fair trial in very case where offences are alleged on the part of either Europeans or Samoans.”

Mr Holland reviewed the recent history of Samoa and the events leading up to the present crisis and the faults in the administration. He alleged that some of the administrative acts were illegal, and that General Richardson was temperamentally unfitted for his post. Mr Holland said that the Samoans still felt bitter concerning the influenza epidemic, when more than 8,000 died. On top of that had been established a military dictatorship by an official bird of passage. The native repudiation of the fouo of faipules nominated by the Administrator, the limitation of European franchise, a breach of the peace by the chief judge for which a fine of £3 was imposed, the formation and objects of the Man, and the sentences of banishment, imprisonment, and deportation were all touched upon.

It had been said, Mr Holland continued, that labor was siding with the traders against tlie interests of the natives, but the Labor Party was concerned oiily about giving all the right of trial. Prohibition and copra were quoted as tho root causes of the trouble, but out of 13,000 tons of copra in one year the Administrator had handled only 100 tons. Labor would nationalise the copra industry, and would never consent to the introduction of liquor among the Samoans.

The Leader of the Opposition proceeded to deal with revelations concerning the “Foster case.” This man, ho said, had committed unnamable offences in Samoa, and he had been sent back to New Zealand. The Administrator had notified the New Zealand Government of tin: nature of the offences Foster had committed there. Notwithstanding tins warning, he had been allowed to take a responsible position iu Papanui, where lie had again committed similar crimes, ending with the murder of his wife and suicide. The Government hud not dar-vl to permit an investigation into this busi ness 1

The case of an oilicial in Samoa who committed suicide was also mentioned. On the day the Labor Party came into power, said Air Holland, every banishment order would be recalled and every man given the same right to 'oppose the Government by constitutional means. “Our methods in Samoa are not British. They would, indeed, lie discreditable to the regime of Bismarck.”