SAMOA SIDELIGHTS

Evening Star, Issue 19890, 12 June 1928, Page 9

SAMOA SIDELIGHTS

A BETTER FEELING

BOYCOTT ABANDONED

[Sckci.u. to Tin; ‘ Star.’]

AUCKLAND, Juno 11

“The best sight that 1 ever saw in my life was old Bangkok) showing up to-day through the rain,” .said one ol tho Auckland police who returned from Samoa to-day. Some time ago six young Auckland constables went, to Samoa, to keep law and order in that unrostlul country, and three ol them—Constables Callaghan, Shields, and Young—have now returned, coming back by the Tofna. this afternoon. The Auckland constables said that they’could not talk of the olllcial side of their visit, but of the personal side and the social side they said quite a lot .

“ It’s a great place, but it has a. rotten climate, and centipedes; a foot long,” said one of the constables, •• Give me Auckland every lime.” “ Plenty of sport down there,he added. “The football season is justover. Wo had a few games, and I can tell you that they play better football than you see in Auckland.” Apparently playing on coral or something nearly as hard encourages _tho open game, with plenty ol passing. One of the constables lias returned with a bruised .shin, the result ol a hefty kick from a native when a forward rush was in full swing. The incident of. May 26 in Samoa, when a detachment of military police wont out to arrest the chief Leota was spoken of by some of the passengers who arrrived* by the Tofna. They said that, as far as they could gather, the action of the police was not extreme, and that it was intended mainly to have a salutary effect. It was true, they said, that rifles had been carried and bayonets used, but not to any great extent. Since the affair the excitement had subsided, and it was now regarded more or less as a “ nine days’ wonder.”

According to those who have been in Samoa, tho new Administrator (Mr S. S. Allen) has made a good impression among the natives, as well as with the white residents. He is a man of silent action and few words, but it is felt that he has already gained a grasp of affairs in the mandated territory. Tho Alan native police are still very ranch in evidence, with their picturesque uniforms, and they seem to he concerning themselves as much as ever with the life of the settlement. While it is understood that the natives arc still refusing to comply with the orders to pay taxes, it is said that the campaign of boycotting stores dealing hi New Zealand goods has entirely disappeared. In general, a more settled future- is predicted for Samoa.