DISAFFECTION IN SAMOA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20337, 20 February 1928, Page 10

DISAFFECTION IN SAMOA

MAU’S DEFIANT ATTITUDE. A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. TWO WARSHIPS DESPATCHED, (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, February 16Following the receipt of wireless messages from Samoa, a meeting of Cabinet was held to consider the situation. At the conclusion of the meeting the Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) made the foiRowing statement: Recent advices received from Western Samoa indicate that ad efforts to bring about either a reconciliation between the Mau Committee and the loyal section of the native population, or in any.way to mitigate the defiant attitude of the disaffected chiefs who constitute the centre of the Mau movement in Apia, have failed. The latest messages from the Administrator gtate that a serious position has arisen, and that any action taken by the official police will be regarded as a signal for general retaliation by the Mau against the Europeans, the result, therefore, being that the entire police force is powerless, and the maintenance of peace improbable. I am glad to assure the public that up till the present time, owing to the patience 'and forbearance which has been exercised, there have been no actual breaches of the peace, but as danger to life and property might arise if steps are taken to restore the normal functions of government without an adequate force behind the authority, Cabinet has decided, entirely as a precautionary measure, to despatch the cruisers Dunedin and Diomede to the mandated territory. LABOUR LEADER’S CRITICISM. GOVERNMENT’S ACTION CONDEMNED. (Per United Press Association.) WHANGAREI, February 19. It was not until after his meeting at Whangarei that Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, learned definitely that the Dunedin and the Diomede had been ordered to Samoa. Mr Holland has handed the following statement to tUe press in relation to the incident; The Government's action is extremely ill-advised, and will probably only serve to inflame the position in Samoa. the people of New Zealand have been told repeatedly that the deportation of Mr U. F. Nelson and his colleagues would mean an end of the trouble in Samoa. Indeed, more than one misleading report has been sent out conveying the idea that matters had commenced to settle down. After the departure of Messrs Nelson and Smyth exactly the contrary was the case, however, and the real effect of the deportations has been further to incense the Samoans. The sending of warships to Samoa may have the effect of precipitating trouble, and it,would have been muen better if the Government had taken a sensible way out of the difficulty. A return to normal conditions can be secured only by an abandonment of the ‘ big stick” policy. Deportation and banishment orders should cease, and the deported Samoans and Europeans should tie allowed to return to their homes. General Sir George Richardson should be recalled without delay, and the people of Samoa should be notified that the promiees made to them in the name of Zealand will be honoured, that we will recognise the right of the Samoan people to an effective voice in the government of their own country, and finally that there will be an application of the principles of justice with the right of- fair trial in every case where offences are alleged on the part of either Europeans Or Samoans.” Mr Holland reviewed the recent history of Samoa and the events leading up to the present crisis and the alleged faults in the Administration. He alleged that some of the administrative acts were illegal, and that General Richardson was temperamentally unfitted for his post. Mr Holland said that the Samoans still felt bitter concerning the influenza epidemic, when more than 8000 died. On top of that had been established a military dictatorship by an official bird of passage. The native repudiation of the fono of faipules nominated by the Administrator, the limitation of European franchise, a breach of the peace by the Chief Judge for which a fine of £3 was imposed, the formation and objects of the Mau, and the sentences of banishment, imprisonment, and deportation were all touched upon. It had been said, Mr Holland continued, that labour was siding with the traders against the interests of the natives, but the Labour Party was concerned only about giving all the right of trial. Prohibition and copra were quoted as the root causes of the trouble, but out of 13,000 tons of copra in one year the Administrator had handled only 100 tons. Labour would nationalise the copra industry, and would never consent to the introduction of liquor among the Samoans. The Leader of the Opposition proceeded to deal with revelations concerning the “ Foster case.” This man, he said, had committed unnamable offences in Samoa, and he had been sent back to New Zealand. The Administrator had notified the New Zealand Government of the nature of the offences Foster had committed there. Notwithstanding this -warnhe had been allowed to take a responsible position in Papanui, where he had again committed similar crimes, ending with the murder of hie wife and suicide. The Government had not dared to permit an investigation into this business. The case of an official in Samoa who Committed suicide was also mentioned. On the day the Labour Party came into power, said Mr Holland, every banishment order would be recalled and every man given the same right to oppose the Government by constitutional means. “ Our methods in Samoa are not British. They would, indeed, be discreditable to the regime of Bismarck.”