SAMOAN TROUBLES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1929, Page 9

SAMOAN TROUBLES

APOLOGY TO EX-ADMINISTRATOR.

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, April 2.

A report that he had instituted proceedings for libel against Sir Joseph Carruthers, of Sydney, but had withdrawn them upon receiving a retraction, was confirmed to-day by Sir George Richardson, late Administrator of Western Samoa.

He said: “It came to my knowledge that Sir Joseph’Carruthers had charged me personally with being responsible for what was said to be the root cause of the agitation in Samoa —the influenza epidemic. His allegation, in effect, was that, by officiousness and neglect of duty, I had allowed the epidemic to get into Samoa, with the result that there had been a large number of deaths, for which the Samoan's continued to hold New Zealand responsible. As Sir’ Joseph had reopened the question, and had declared me to have been personally responsible for the root cause of the whole trouble, I felt 1 should at least vindicate myself so far as this particular charge was concerned. I took steps accordingly, but a timely apology prevented further legal proceedings.”