MANY COMPLAINTS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12040, 19 January 1925, Page 5

MANY COMPLAINTS

HATANA PARTY'S TOUR THEORIES ON THE LOST TRIBES. INTERESTING STORY. Peter Moko explains in regard to the Rotorua incident that the Ratana movement has a following of _4o.u. natives in all paste of the Dominion, itatana’s covenant, when ho left- on nia world torn - ,, had some 34,000 sign auuros (says a 1 Wanganui correspondent). The* various documents containing these signatures wore left at Raton a Pawith instructions that they wore not to bo. interfered with. On the Return of the party it wais noticed that, documents containing some 5000 signatures were missing. This was mentioned during the Christmas gathering arid ft was decided to obtain, t resli signatures so as to make the' list coiriplete, and this is apparently what has caused the misunderstanding ; among the Arawas at Rotorua. Ratana’s statement regarding the marrying ot the, Maori and Japanese races has been misunderstood. . Before setting out. on his; world tour it had been decided to Vjsit Japan, as it was believed that the Maoris and the Japanese were, linked by a common chain of ancestry. Moko says ’he is more convinced now than ever that such is the case. The customs of the Japanese are very similar to those of the Maoris both in regard to greeting and hospitality. Many of ■. the Maori - words have a similar pronunciation to those ■ of the Japanese and have the same meaning. 15 YEARS RESEARCH. Professor Whyteman, of Tokio University, informed Moko that lie ' had spent fifteen years, of. research m these matters, and had come .to the conclusion that the Japanese, Maoris, Filipinos, Hawaiians, Malayans and many other races were’all related. “We; believe now,” added Moko, “that we' are the-lost .tribes of Israel. They all originally sot out from' Palestine through Persia, via India, and to the Malay Peninsula. * Here the tribes drifted apart', and the Maoris eventually came south.” Persons to whom Moko had submit-, ted" this theory, were inclined to discount it owing to the difference in stature. Moko contended that this had- nothing to do with the » matter arid .that stature depended entirely on conditions. He instanced the case "ot the Maoris where, in'the early days, they- were tall in , stature, but, .with the advent of the pakeha, a deterioration' had set in.' Touching bn the visit to England Moko said that one of the objects was to interview . the authorities . with’ a view to having the provisions of certain : clauses of the Treaty of Waitapgi fulfilled in regard to lands taken from the Maoris foil- which they liad nevet had compensation. He maintained that the Maoris had. parted with -inil- ‘ lions of acres in both islands for a mere song. For instance, 20,000,000 acres in the South Island had hebn ■ purchased ’for" £2ooo', extending from North Canterbury to Otago. The recognised price then was from 4s to 6s per acre. The Government had never ■recognised the claim of the Maoris. While in England he had endeavoured to, get in touch with as many members of/Parliament as possible. Some of these were sympathetic,, Trie delefates.to Geneva were . also approached, ut,' while sympathetic, they said they cotud do nothing. Moko had heard .while in London that word had .been passed on from .the New Zealand Government not to recognir® the Ratana deputation at all. He blamed one particular gentleman ■ who, he said, appeared to he interesting . himself very much in the matter, and who wee. uo against the Ratana. movement which had bee.i such a power for good among the natives. Moko' was asked how the partv had been treated generally in England, and he replied -. “In a very offlinnded manner.” He went on to state that all sorts -f coloured races were represent-

ed at AYemhley, . even to . Zulus, who had their fares paid. Whenßa tana’s party visited Wembley they paid‘their own.expenses. At the request of Sir James Allen they gave . an. entertainment. there." and ’ had tickets issued to themj but they - kept' these and paid their own - AT WEMBLEY. \ Speaking of" the Maori , house at Wembley, he. said, it., disgrace. It Was the Mftorihause ppewmted tp the late QueeritVietoriay and-Wad keen stowed nearly 50 .yehra." The carvjng was excellent, btit 'the panel-, ling was an eyesore and all European. As for the' mats, he woul<h not_ have them on his own doorstep. ~He’rriaintaiued, that if the authorities intended tb, have 'the Maoris -represented they- should have made a display that was.-creditable to - the .raise:,- - “Yes,” said Moko, “we were the only coloured • race under the British flag that did not have proper representation at the Exhibition. The coldness .shown was very strange, seeing that'the Maori boys proved themselves shchgoikl'; fel--lowsduring the war time at. Home and were" so hospitably received:” The party gave a concert for the Royal Hospital, and for the League, of Mercy, and’ even paid fheir-owri admission. In the* latter 1 case the titkets cost 5s each, and in neither case were they accorded a vote ot • thunks for their, trouble. . ‘.‘While -in England. France, and Belgium we . saw a Jot of poor people, and plenty of- cadgers,*’ said Moko; “in fact,*soule of them would almost pull, your sock's off. The conditions appeared to be- ‘worse ■ in France and Belgium. Those were a great contrast with what we saw in Germany. The people these,-all looked/ prosperous and well fed.” From the German border to Berlin, a distance of 700 miles, the whole country-tmrboth sides of the line was under cultivation as far as- the eye could i. ‘ ' IN JAPAN T*" , While in. Japan trie party'saw plenty of the activities of the Japanese. All classes seemed to" he fully employed, and, in. the earthquake .devastated area,, very substantial' progress had been made with the work of reconstruction. All the,.mam—buildings j were'being built in reinforced concrete. | Asked if he would explain the reason I of the trouble ori the steamers going j Home and' returning frorii the East, > Moko .said, that .the members of the party .were 1 very popular bn board, and took part.in all the sports’ arid "entertainment. After Durban a Dutch woman came aboard and - made a remark that these niggers -were winning everything. Naturally,; enough, the remark was resented arid the-party withd#ew I, friom the sports. "-There were, Australians and NewZealanders on board. They took the part of the Maoris against the Rhodesians, and for a time there was" nearly a not. Mrs Moko heard the... Dutch •—wonasmalie the’remark, and,” added Moko, “she "wanted to crack her.” In the other instance, an American .and an., Englishman/ were overheard te make disparaging remarks regarding young Maori girls.. A