SAMOA TO-DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23036, 13 May 1938, Page 13

SAMOA TO-DAY

* ' turbulent politics administrator BT XiEICESTF.iI WEBB assist to an understanding -iMklhe present political situation in wiltern Samoa to recapitulate briefly has happened there since the visit ■. : i j t jj o Goodwill Mission in July, 1936. principal-recommendations of the ' ' hoodwill Mission were that the num- | f-P 0 f Samoan representatives on tl>e '■.VSislative Council should be increased | £ two to four, that the number of ' 'Ltuas (native advisers to the Adr§Mistratiou) should be increased from t0 three, that a finance commit--11 HI consisting of three Samoans and bne European should be, set up to con--L- with tHc Administrator, ; the and the Secretary of Native " , Affairs on matters of finance, that full '• ''lnformation about the public accounts . >ould be published in "Savali," that of Faipule should, be "reSO as to be "fully represenf|. of the Samoan people," that hos- > r medical services should be ' extended, and that there should be a biglfer. standard of education, free jtuition,< and provision for secondary federation. All these recommendations have been put into effect or are in the , ■ proems,of being put into effect. The : visit -of the Goodwill Mission fcoincided with an even more important • "brent' r in- Samoan political history—the •%e|in of Mr. 0. F. Nelson, as the guest of "the; New Zealand Government. Alhe had professed a desire to '•'Stllfre from. public affairs, Mr. Nelson /' -"b&arne immediately the dominant poli- - • ~ fcic»l personality in the territory—the oi;fti»ipwledged leader not only of the ' ISaxL but of the great majority of that of the community which is of ; buxed descent.

rVifv* 1 * Demands by the Fono irho new Fono of Faipule opened its at Mulinu'u on September 30, and eight, "loyalists"; and was from "Hie first aggressive and even arrogant • ' in! its dealings with the Administration Iv began by wirelessing a demand ■ to' the jS t ow Zealand Prime Minister that the new method of constituting •3-|he Fono •bo fixed by legislation a'ncl. - suspended its sitting pending receipt of 6 favourable reply. This point having beon; conceded, the Fiino sent; a further wireless message asking that' Mr. Nelson be appbinted . \fi'atonii,.(adviser and liaison officer between the Administration and the <ft|Slmoans),' that he be allowed to take part in the .. proceedings of the Fono, ? and that all Chinese bo sent away from •• Samoa. ; . . . The Prime Minister replied that Mr. . "Kelson could stand as a European canavsvdidate for the next election of the Council; if, however, he JMwanted to act as Samoan representative ?/Von the council, fa'atonu, or faipule, he must legally adopt Samoan status or act as adviser to the-faipule in an unofficial f capacity. Regarding the " Chinese T>roblem,.the Minister announced that %■ the Goodwill Mission had recommended ;V : C; 'that hoj with Chinese labourers be made. • : SSS^Although^-.tlw 7 -Prime / Minister ;■ and Zealand Government .were ' feginning to manifest some impatience with this stream of remits, the Foiio ; in no way daunted, its next .batch -of-.requests included -a proposal that. ' "'ihe Fono should send a delegation to I '.Wellington and also a demand -that Malietoa Tshotdd resign the position on the Legislative Council to which he si'.;r had been nominated by. the previous ■» iSince Malietoa is, _ in _a ; titular . sense, the highest chief in Samoa;, litis demand caused something • of a-sensation among the ;Samoans. "I have>not been s appointed by you Faipule," replied Malietoa with simple {> J dignity, .'"but by the King of England .• and the Government of New: Zealand, / and my services and work for Samoa have- been recognised" by the award of 0.8. E." • ■< * r '< : A Brusque Prime Minister ' The Prime Minister's reply _ was brusque. It was the "considered opinion 'Bf'thai' Government 1 that -. a delegation to New Zealand was not necessary." Furthermore, the Government was "ex- % ; tremfely disappointed- to learn of the ;•? 1: attitude adopted by the Faipule toward ' £he Administration." It wished to know ■ "whether the Faipule appreciated the advantages accruing to them from s|§idirect> association? to;'- New Zealand. There followed a pertinent reference the-economic situation in Tonga. > ts| -i iTVhen - the terms of this reply were communicated to the Fono there .was. an angry scene. Alipia, the Speaker of M'MFdnoii blamed the Arting-Admmis- : trator to his-face for .lack of consideration and goodwill, accused _ him_ of ft making, trouble between the_New <. ~' land Government and the Fono, ana demanded that a wireless message, be ■ sent to the Prime .Minister asking for the immediate appointment - of a new | ||§ Administrator. This insult to the Act-jlS'ing-Administrator created as much or §K&'sensation among: the white commun---Jvity.in Apia as had the insult to Maheamong a section of the Samoans. ' The New Mau One consequence of thb turbulent ;|tefSj>rpcßedihgs of the. Fono of Fajpulo fS,the creation ' J 'of - f two . new P°!i . ' ■ groups- .within the territory., The Euro--1 pean planting and commercial ini 1 ' terests, alarmed by, the sudden'dem > 1 for the repatriation, of all Chinese and perhaps also by the graving. - white " attitude of the Mau and the tW<mo of Faipule, formed at a P"bhe meeting on October 16, ; -United Progressive Party, with i ER: Cobcrcft as president. This orgavifjsation is open only to Europeans and to persons of European des ' statu*, suppor ters of In the same month tne supp -Malietoa, who had in the .. #ielded ; to. Mau pressure and r«gjgfrom, the Legislative Council, formed Party, usiu£ly «the New Mau." In irfid-o.stobe.r re ■representatives of this partv_ m Acting-Administrator in the Fono h° H« ' Itanlihu'u and presented a longvnsr f' °f?grievances the substance of , : X:|te !f that- the Mau .was usurping t^ 'functions of government in _. ;J Samoa. The Acting-Administrator snj, gwted .that they should R l f£ e - ; * ''[grievances before the Fono of Fa jp > • 'j/jjput. the Fono refused 'to receive, a ae from the new party.