DISCORD IN SAMOA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16628, 23 April 1928, Page 11

DISCORD IN SAMOA

NOT DUE TO ADMINISTRATION GROSS MISREPRESENTATION STATEMENT BY SIR GEORGE BICHARDSON. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A general .statement upon the various phases of the position in Samoa was made to-day by Sir George Richardson on the eve of nis departure for Geneva, where he will represent the Now Zealand Government at the sittings cf the Mandates Commission of tho League o/ .Nations. oir George Richardson declined to enter into any discussion concerning the charges against the Administration. He said : " The gross misrepresentations that have been made concerning .Samoa, wero part and parcel of a clelinerately ■and widely-organised plan on the part of a. sma.il section of tlio community in Apia, to defame New Zealand." lie stressed the high ideals oi the New Zealand Government in. endeavoring to uplift the natives. Already a good deal had been done in regard to the health of the Samoans, and the population had increased to 40,000. The ideal of the Kpay Zealand Government was to preserve Samoa entirely and' solely for the Samoans. If they allowed the territory to bo commercialised no doubt it would progress by leaps and bounds, and prosper enormously, but what would happen to the indigenous people'!' Just what had happened .in other Paciiic islands where there was a largo Indian and Chinese population competing with the natives! The. Polynesian was not able to stand up'against the Asiatic. The present discord in Samoa, added Sir George Richardson, was not due to tho Administration, which had done its utmost to promote harmony and goodwill amongst the various sections of tho community. There was no sign of trouble until 18 months ago, when a few persons, including. some who had been at tho game before, deliberately incited the natives and influenced them to join with them, and so made trouble for Samoa. Tho charges of interference with Samoan customs were absolutely untrue. No changes had been made without tho concurrence of the natives' 'or at their request..