FUTURE OF SAMOA

Otago Witness, Issue 3517, 9 August 1921, Page 19

FUTURE OF SAMOA

NEW ZEALAND MANDATE RESENTED. SYDNEY. August 1. Over the signature of “ Oleaifu,” who describes himself as a Polynesian native, -find claims to express native views, the Sydney Morning Herald publishes a letter replying to the Hon. E. P. Lee's statement regarding Samoa suggesting that the difficulties of administration arose from tee suppression of alcohol and the belief held by Samoans that if they objected to dominion rule they had the right to select- some other Power to a< cent the ma ndate. 4ho writer says that, not one Samoan in 300 tasted liquor, so that the suggestion about prohinition rnav Jje regarded as camouflage. He then 'says : ‘'Our objections to New Zealand forcefully controlling our affairs against the wish of every resident of the group are due, firstly, to New Zealand's methods of administration, and, to definite oromise-s bv all the Greater Powers that Samoa would retain its independence. These promises were made scraps of paper in the form of treaties. It is the violation of those scraps of paper that we are challenging.” Ihe writer adds that from a Garden of Eden Samoa has been reduced to a Sahara Desert, but the emancipation of Samoa from oppression is the new religion of every Samoan.