SERIOUS EPIDEMIC IN SAMOA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 675, 29 May 1929, Page 13

SERIOUS EPIDEMIC IN SAMOA

Deaths 72; Influenza Cases, 1,300

PROTEST TO PRIME MINISTER

Mau Points to Visit of Maui Pomare

WITH 72 deaths so far reported, and 1,300 cases, a severe epidemic is raging in the neighbourhood of Apia, Western Samoa. It is feared that there may be a recurrence of the 1918 epidemic, when there were 8,500 deaths.

T ATE yesterday a radio message was received in. Auckland from Pago Pago, Western Samoa, forwarding a communication from Apia to the effect that tjie epidemic is raging. In the area affected there are 10,000 native Samoans out of a population of 40,000.

On being notified of the outbreak, counsel for the Mau in New Zealand, acting on instructions from the Hon. O. F - Nelson, has sent the following letter to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, who also is Minister of Externa! Affairs: We bog leave again to call your attention to the fact that, acting under instructions received by radio from the Mau of Western Samoa, through the representative of the Samoan people, the Hon. O. F. Nelson, we lodged a protest by telegraph on April 16 with the Minister or Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, against the entrance of the State steamer Maui Pomare to the harbour of Apia. Samoa, on her last voyage, owing to a serious outbreak of influenza among her crew just prior to her departure from Auckland. On April 18 you advised us by telegraph that the matter had been referred to you by the Minister of Health, and you tendered assurances that the department was in daily touch with the vessel, and that every precaution was being taken to prevent influenza being again introduced into any of the islands at which the Government steamer called. Although we persisted in our protest, we advised our client to accept whatever assurances were offered by the authorities, and to make no further resistance. As you are aware, there was no trouble when the Maui Pomare did arrive in Apia. We have now to advise you that m a radio message received late yesterday afternoon from Pago Pago, American Samoa, Mr. T. B. Slipper, counsel for the Mau at Apia, advises the

(From Yesterday's Bate Edition)

Hon. O. F. Nelson in Auckland that the Mau in Western Samoa reports an outbreak raging at Apia since the last call of the Maui Pomare, and that on the date this message was sent across from Apia to Pago Pago, 72 deaths had occurred and T. 300 cases were reported in the North Upolo district, between Aleipata and Mulifanua. It was reported also that figures for districts outside this area were not yet to hand. There being only a three -weekly mail service between Apia and Pago Pago, it is quite possible that the Apia date of the .radio is a week or more earlier. That the radio did not come direct from Apia suggests that the censor is again active to suppress any news of the outbreak reaching the outside world. The absence of any report in the New Zealand Press and the silence of the Press correspondent at Apia for the “N.Z. Samoa Guardian” on this matter, further supports the suggestion of censorship. We are now instructed to request you again to place on record the strenuous protest of the Mau against the suppression of news of what might well become another national crisis to the Samoan people, and to reiterate and emphasise that *he responsibility for such emergency falls wholly on your Government.