THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1930. SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20482, 6 February 1930, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1930. SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

There is good reason to regret that the libel action instituted by Mr. Nelson against • the New Zealand Herald, in connection with its comments on Samoan affairs, has been discontinued. Its' hearing would have given the people of this Dominion an unexampled and excellent opportunity of becoming acquainted with the cardinal facts of a situation in Western Samoa that has attracted much attention and aroused much anxiety. A great deal, it is true, has been said, on the platform and in the press, about that ! situation, but it has been perfectly clear that much of this comment has not been disinterested, and that it was consequently the reverse of helpful to any seriously reasonable effort to view and judge the facts. Certain phases have been reviewed in the light of judicial and quasijudicial investigation in the territory itself and elsewhere; but in New Zealand, where there lies the ■responsibility of administering the mandate accepted from the Allied and Associated Powers, no inquiry of this order has taken place in any adequate way. It was with the hope that the situation would be thoroughly elucidated here, therefore, that the prospect of a fully judicial inquiry was welcomed. The

libel action offered a forum for complete ventilation of the issues. Instead of ex parte statements, made without the possibility of refutation, even of examination, there would have been evidence on oath exposed to critical tests of truthfulness, and according to trustworthy methods of proper procedure. In this way, the public of this deeply concerned and responsible country would have been able to appraise the value of much that has been advanced as true, and to come .to an assured understanding of what has happened and is now happening. On its part, the Herald welcomed such an opportunity for adequately eliciting the actual facts and getting them widely understood in the Dominion, and shares to the full the widespread regret that the action has been discontinued. The situation in Western Samoa has natfenal importance. New Zealand's good name in the eyes of the world is of grave moment to every thoughtful citizen of this country. That good name has been in jeopardy. Failing to make good in the administration of the entrusted mandate, this Dominion would have suffered seriously in prestige. To see cleavly wherein any such failure was being risked, and to estimate accurately the influences threatening to produce the failure, is essential to successful discharge of the trust. The hearing of the action would have shed this requisite light, in a way ensuring public appreciation of the national task and the difficulties it entails. There is also an international aspect of the matter not lightly to be overlooked. Western Samoa is but one of the many mandated territories under international surveillance, and what is done there is of vital relevance and importance to the whole novel scheme of government in such territories. In particular, it has reference to general affairs in the Pacific. For these impelling reasons, the Herald has felt constrained to deal with the situation and will still obey this strong constraint. Holding no brief for anybody, and careless of any vested interests save those of the Samoans, it shapes an independent course by ascertainable facts and by public considerations that nothing will tempt it to abandon. A valuable piece of work for the world has been handed to New Zealand to do. Difficulties have been met. This was not unexpected. Difficulties still exist. They have not been insurmountable. They will not be. But "failure" has not yet been written, by any means, on New Zealand's effort, in spite of what some critics have, said, and there is no serious likelihood that it ever will be.

Foremost in the facts now to be faced is the continued existence of the Map, and so long as it maintains its lawless attitude there can be no reiun of peace, order and good government in the territory. It is well that at this juncture the New Zealand Government is taking steps to quell the menace. This firm action has been made inevitable. There are signs that the challenge of the Mau is decreasing. Some of its members have signified their eagerness to relinquish .their resistance to the Administration, But there has been no adequate manifestation of this readiness, and it has become impressively evident that the Btand taken by the Government must be maintained without abeyance until the Mau ceases to be e menace it has unhappily become. The Mandates Commission , la ' cl ,fc down in unequivocal terms that New Zealand j, jespor,sible for maintaining law and order in the territory, and has put on record its dissatisfaction at the previous "lamentable absence of sufficient means to enforce the laws"

which it is the Administrator's duty to uphold. A policy firm as well as libera] has been enjoined by the Commission. There is reason to fear that any manifestation of carelessness about the enforcement of law would be interpreted by the recalcitrant members of the Mau as weakness, and for their sakes, as well as for the ultimate peace and prosperity of the whole territory, there should be no departure from the policy now put in action. While it is extremely regrettable that the discontinuance of the libel action has deprived the New Zealand public of the opportunity it offered of establishing beyond cavil the crucial facts of the situation, it should be amply evident that the Government, in determining to convince the Mau of the error and futility of its ways before entering on further sympathetic parleys, is bent on the only course capable of leading to a happier state of affairs.