THE SAMPAN QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 5

THE SAMPAN QUESTION.

PROPOSED ANNEXATION BY NEW ZEALAND. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PHKHS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. Cabinet intend to suggest to the Imperial Government thab the Saraoan difficulty should be terminated by annexing the islands to New Zealand, as was proposed by King Malietoa some years ago, and placing them under a protectorate like that exercised over Rarotonga. Should the three Treaty Powers object Ministers will offer to govern the islands for them. [by TELKORAFH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The statement published this morning that the Imperial Government is to be moved by Ministers to annex Samoa to New Zealand 1 had a somewhat startling effect; but ib is by no means a new departure. If there is one feature more than another of external policy which has for many years attracted the special notice of New Zealand public men, it is the trade with the island groups of the Pacific. Sir J. Vogel had an enthusiasm in this direction. Sir Robert Stout, when Premier (1884-7), and Sir Dillon Bell, when Agent-General, piled up a heap of correspondence with the English Secretary of State for the colonies on this very question. The whole subject was discussed in the New Zealand General Assembly in 1885-6. The expedition of the Hiribmoa, and the intervention of Mr. John Lundon as the Self-constituted Plenipotentiary extraordinary to Malietoa, the King, are scarcely forgotten. These things provoked a good deal of ridicule, as well as discussion, ac that time. The Times, which may be taken as exponent of the view entertained by the PostmasterGeneral, as well as the policy of the New Zealand Cabinet, gives the central aspect of this important movement. "The control of the mail and cable routes ought moreover to be in British hands. The treaty powers, Germany, the United States, and Great Britain have, of course, to be consulted. That fact the Government has fully recognised, and will allow for in its proposal to the Imperial Government. Some years ago the treaty powers would have promptly declined to entertain the idea, but a period of misgovarnment, which is practically chaotic, may be regarded as certain to have at least impressed them with a sense of failure. Germany at one time entertained the hope of establishing a great commercial control centreing in Samoa, but that was abandoned when Prince Bismarck failed to get the German Parliament to carry out his arrangement with Godefroi and Company. That is not now a disturbing element, and it was the mainspring of German action in regard to Samoa. German subjects have, however, large land claims in the islands, and the United States claim a naval station in the harbour of Pangopango. We fancy that for these reasons British annexation will not be accoptable to these powers." Annexation is hardly the word. The Post condemns the proposal. It reviews the former scheme, and adds, Interference in the affairs of Samoa is a matter entirely outside the range of a New Zealand Ministers' ordinary sphere of duty, and the colony should not have been in any way committed to an offer of the kind without full consideration by Parliament. The majority of sensible people who are familiar with the affairs of this colony will hold that New Zealand has quite enough to do to manage its own business without interfering with that of its neighbours, or assuming responsibilities outside its own natural bounds. New Zealand has suffered so severely in the past from a native difficulty of its own that it should bo chary of mixing itself up with any native difficulty abroad. New Zealand is not in its own concerns such a model of good government and perfect administration as to encourage the hope that it could satisfactorily administer the affairs of another country some 1615 miles away. New Zealand affairs are sufficiently important and difficult to absorb the full attention of the very best men in the colony." ________