SAMOAN MISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 5

SAMOAN MISSION

MINISTER OUTLINES OBJECT

[PEP. PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON. June 15

“It is purely a goodwill mission, and we will hold out the hand of cordial friendship to the people of Samoa, ’’ said Hon. F. Langstone, who with Mr. J. O’Brien. Member for Westland, will leave Wellington to-morrow afternoon for the Mandated Territory of Samoa, as a delegation from the New Zealand Government. “The Mandated Territory- of ‘Western Samoa was handed over to New Zealand as a sacred trust, and the

good name of our country, and of its people, is involved in its administration.” Mr. Langstone said, in a farewell message. “Naturally. we are anxious that any' administration under our jurisdiction should rank high in the councils of nations, and that it should be well received by the League, which, ultimately, is responsible for the Mandate. The reason why the Prime Minister is sending a Goodwill Delegation to the Samoans is that we should be able to understand, and grasp, the Samoan mind. It will be a difficult thing to do in such a short period, but that is the purpose of our visit. We want to avoid the conflict and the antagonisms which have arisen in the past, and which resulted in much heart-burning, both among the Samoans and the New Zealand people.”

Accompanying the delegation will be Mrs. Langstone, Mrs. O’Brien. Mr. A. W. Mulligan, private secretary to the Minister, who will act in the secretarial capacity to the delegation; Mrs. Mulligan, and Mr. T. F. Reilly, of the literary staff of the “Dominion.” who will represent the I’nited Press Association of New Zealand.