THE SAMOAN SITUATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 50

THE SAMOAN SITUATION.

AN ALARMIST REPORT. • AUCKLAND, August 4. Mr O. F. Nelson received the following wireless advice from Apia to-day: — Police picket stationed at Afega. Vailuma, and the iron gate at Letogo with the object of stopping all Mau supporters from visiting Apia and bringingfood for the committee. Additional European police are being signed on. Malietoa and Tuimalealiifano are definitely against Administrator, and their resignations have been tendered, but will not be accepted till next week. The position is very serious. Mr Nelson says that the blocking of these roads means that Apia is blockaded, and that the natives bringing food into Apia would be supporters of flic Citizens’ Committee.

“A MEANINGLESS MESSAGE.” WELLINGTON, August 4. Up to 10 o’clock to-night the External Affairs Department had not received any advice from the Administrator of Samoa, Sir George Richardson, concerning the alleged picketing of the road to Apia, or tho alleged serious position which had been reported to Mr O. F. Nelson by the Citizens’ Committee. A few minutes prior to 10 o’clock the department received a long wireless message from the Administrator, but it contained no reference whatever to the incidents reported. The view of tho department is that the message, which has been sent to New Zealand by the committee. is meaningless, for its says that the picketing is to prevent food being sent to Apia to the committee, whereas previous messages published by’ the committee have asserted that the native members of the committee and their supporters have been sent from Apia back to their villages, or that they have been otherwise dealt with. What, therefore, can be the object, of taking food to Apia to a committee which is not there? The statement by Mr Nelson that the two chiefs —Malietoa and Tuimalaeliifano -—had objected to the words “confidence in the Administration and the present methods’’ being included in a Loya] Address to the King on the occasion of his Majesty’s birthday was also questioned by the department. An examination cf the address revealed that these words were not used in the address, while it showed that the signatures of the chiefs mentioned wore the first on the address It was further stated that these chiefs had signed the address presented to the Minister of External Affairs (Mr W. Nosworthy) by the Fono of Faipules on his recent visit to the islands. Another version of the handcuffing incident recently reported by the committee was made available. Official advices from the Administrator state that the police visited the chiefs, who had refused to obey orders to leave Apia, and the .chiefs insisted on being handcuffed “presumably to prove that they had kept their oath to the committee not voluntarily to leave Apia.”

“Swear that you love me!” “ On what shall I swear?” “On that bench!” —Sarikaturen, Oslo.