The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29. 1920. THE TRIP TO SAMOA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 29 January 1920, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29. 1920. THE TRIP TO SAMOA.

Little surprise can be felt by the ordinary observer of public affairs at the growth of.adverse criticism of the impending Parliamentary trip to Samoa. The expense will certainly be considerable; the advantage problematical. The adventure is one of the first fruits of the policy of seeking further external influence, and may well raise a question as to whether it would not be' far better for New Zealand to mind its own business instead of worrying about affairs beyond its borders. Admittedly it would have been difficult to refuse acceptance of a mandate in respect of Samoa, but tnat difficulty would arise not from the fact that any real responsibility now rested on New Zealand, but from the anterior fact that for a • good many years past certain of our public men have been agitating about Samoa, and that in consequence of this it must have been assumed that New Zealand was thirsting for external aggrandisement, and in view of its great war sacrifices could not be passed over without being given cause of offence. Some experience of the unnecessary trouble involved in extra territorial possessions or dependencies has already occurred. Rarotonga, for example, has not been a scrap of use to New Zealand. Probably it has been a burden financially, and certainly it has been a source of worry to administrators. Samoa with its great labor question, its liquor problem, and other matters is likely to be of far greater trouble than Rarotonga. already it has justified this belief, and probably the further we go the greater will the trouble be/ No doubt the future of the Pacific will be of immense interest and importance to New Zealand, but Australia and indeed the whole Empire is also vitally concerned, and there is no good reason why New Zealand should undertake a special responsibility. The problem of the Pacific is Imperial, and an Imperial administration should hav e charge of Samoa in common with other points of commercial and strategic importance. Especially may this be so in view of the by no means remote probability that serious international questions are likely to arise in relation to the great oceanic area, with which British diplomacy and statesmanship in the end would have to deal. However, perhaps this is at present by the way. The immediate question is this projected trip, and we must say we have a good deal of sympathy with the general views of the gentleman who tried to induce a Wellington local body to express objection to the Samoan trip, though it must ue conceded that he in turn had travelled beyond the record in choosing the occasion for making objection.