WESTERN SAMOA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21019, 7 May 1930, Page 13

WESTERN SAMOA.

A COMMUNIST’S VIEWPOINT. POLICY OF EXTERMINATION. , ‘ (From Odb Own Correspondent.) , / LONDON, March 27. An article .under the signature of A., Eaglesham, in the Labour Monthly, has some significance as Showing how the situation in Western Samoa is viewed by a Commonwealth writer. Referring to, early developments, the writer;says; “The Bible was'quickly followed oy the trader and the gunboat. In addition, the intensive preaching of- the gospel of submission contributed in eome ■ 'degree to the and indecision of the early Nationalist moyement. Despite the fact that thc Shmoan natives still make substantial and very material contributions to the missionary cause, this pernicious influence is now definitely on the wane. “The disinclination of the Samoan to sell himself into wage slavery has likewise been responsible for the introduction of Chinese coolie labour for plantation work. The hellish conditions of these slaves of capitalism throughout the Pacific would take volumes to describe in detail. ' The recent substitution of task labour for indentured coolie labour, hailed as a ‘distinct Advance’ by .the lickspittles of the League of Nations, has not ameliorated but rather ' aggravated the hardships of the Chinese coolies.” “POLICY OP EXTERMINATION,” The writer later affirms that the policy of_ extermination of native races was applied in Samoa. , k “In the_ year 1918,” he says, “a, shipinfected with ihfluenzarwas, with deliberate foreknowledge, allowed to proceed on its way from Auckland to Samoa. In' the course of the resulting epidemic, while the Samoans w£re dying like files' and the medical resources had proved too weak to deal with the situation, the New Zealand Administration, at this juncture, - received an offer of medical help,. from the American base at Pago Pago (a few hours’ steam from Apia). This offer Was rejected by the Administration. One-fifth of the total native population was wiped out, and a lesson on' the real meaning of Christian imperialism burnt deep in the hearts of the'remaining fourfifths. ■ ■ ■ ' “ The faipulc,” continues the writer, “is paid.£3o per annum for acting the sycophant, and , the Administration' actually, constitutes this gang of its own appointed Judases as a fono or council for consultative functions. It then claims that this foho of faipules is an example of British methods of training the ignorant native how. to govern. It is. The infliction of such a system on the Samoan—accustomed *for generations freely' to exercise the rights of election and recall of all officials—has produced a deep revulsion.' Samoan titles are not formalities, but are conferred by the people as involving definite economic responsibilities, such as organising the cultivation of the family lands in the case of the matai. This explains the bitterness of the feeling in-relation to Government action in the, deprivation of, chiefly, titles, banishment, and appointment of its own paid officials.” Of the “European bourgeois” the writer says: “Despite their white-livered betrayal of the natives the leading European bourgeois figures in the movement were summarily deported from the islands (1028). The role of the local bourgeoisie has throughout been a consistent one. They associate with the Nationalist niovement to further their petty economic grievances, they betray that .movement when they themselves are threatened, and they persistently strive to destroy the anti-imperialist character of the Sairioan Man.” In a.note he says: "After serving a term of imprisonment in New Zealand, Tamasese returned to his native island and was there shot by the thugs of Imperialism in January, 1930.” OVERTHROW OF IMPERIALISM. The last paragraph of the article is pathetically amusing, for it is evident that the writer sees even in the harmless native chiefs an irritating distinction of class. “ Significantly, enough,” he says, “ the leadership of the Mau has fallen to the chiefs. With Samoan Custom it could he no other. The chiefs consider it would he derogatory to the titles conferred on them by the people'if they did not play an active part. The people think likewise. How far the existing embryonic differentiation into classes may affect future developments cannot be discussed at length here. The final answer lies in the struggle itself. The natives of Samoa have taken up the gauntlet thrown down by Imperialism, and in doing so have objectively, determined the basic aim of their movement—the complete overthrow of that Imperialism with the inception of the period of the building of Socialism on a worldwide scale—wherein the Samoans may profit by the fruits of economic development in more advanced countries without the oppression and sufferings that are inseparable from Imperialism.”