For Samoans Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 336, 23 April 1928, Page 11

For Samoans Interests

RICHARDSON EXPLAINS AIMS No Commercialised Island (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. MAJOR-GENERAL SIR GEORGE RICHARDSON, late Administrator of Samoa, discussing affairs in Samoa, this morning declined to reply to what he described as “scurrilous attacks” made upon him by Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, and others, considering them unworthy of notice. Sir George said that he had received many requests to make a reply, particularly from ex-soldiers, but he refused to discuss that aspect of the affair.

“The gross misrepresentations that have been made in New Zealand and other countries concerning: Samoa are part of deliberately and widely organised plans made by a very small section of the community in Apia to defame New Zealand,” he said. “These persons are apparently unable to accommodate themselves to the ideals of the present-day government of that territory in accordance with the terms of the mandate, and did not appreciate the great and generous efforts of the New Zealand Government faithfully to discharge its obligations and meet the interests of the indigenous inhabitants who are its first care. : “Since New Zealand undertook the I mandate the native population had in- ! creased to 40,000,” continued Sir George, “largely as a result of the efforts made to improve the health I and sanitation of the natives. The Government ideal was ‘Samoa for the i Samoans,’ and the exclusion of Asiatic i races. Samoa could be commercialised |in the same way as other Pacific ; Islands, but the unrestricted influx of Asiatics would mean the suppression of Samoans, who could not compete with them In commercial competition. If we were to commercialise Samoa it would be only a short time before the indigenous population would disappear.” < Continuing, the e said that those whose chief interests in Samoa was trade with the natives are not the persons to voice the true interests of the natives, or have any political control over them. The administration worked for all sections of the community, and did not discriminate.

The present discord in Samoa was not due to the Administration but to a few persons, including some who had been at the game before, deliberately inciting the natives and influencing them to join with them and make trouble. This small committee of Europeans, by means of agents and their own Press, printed in the vernacular, succeeded in disseminating false information and pernicious propaganda which disturbed the peaceful minds of the Samoans and brought about the present state of affairs. ' Questioned regarding the allegation that the Administration had interfered with the old Samoan customs. Sir George emphatically denied the suggestion, and instanced one or two cases in which the natives themselves requested a change. These were made with the concurrence of the Administration, but no laws were passed. Neither was the control of cOpra sufficient cause for complaint on the part of traders. The natives were receiving only £lO a ton for copra, compared with £IS in American Samoa, and the Government promised to send some to London for them and better prices were obtained. Only 400 tons were handled by the Government out of a total of 11,000. Banishments were made by the committee Faipules, who advised the Administrator, and not by the Administrator himself, and now the Mau movement was threatening banishment to those who did not join it. The Mau was being built up this way.

General Richardson will sail tomorrow for London and Geneva.