RULE IN SAMOA.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1920, Page 5

RULE IN SAMOA.

CAUSE OF THE DISCONTENT. INFLUENCE OP GERMAN-AMERICAN • By Telejrapl'.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Repres«ntatives this afternoon, replying to Mr- G. Mitchell (Wellington South), Mr. Massey said he admitted there Was a certain amount of ■ discontent amongst the natives at Samoa in connection with New Zealand's mandate over the Islands, due, he thought, to the efforts of a certain German-American who was not a British subject, and who was" particularly hostile to New Zealand. Mr. Mitchell: "Why not 4 e P ort him?" Mr. Massey: "That may come." He said the fact was that when the natives fully understood the motives and intention's of the New Zealand Government there would be no more contented people in any part of the British Empire. The Hon. E. P. Lee (Minister of External Affairs), supplementing this statement, said much of the local discontent in Samoa was due to disgruntled traders, with whose operations tho policy of the Government was interfering. The report of native discontent had no doubt come from those people, and it was foolishly cabled abroad.

[Mr. Sandes, the special Australian correspondent aboard the Renown, writing from Apia on August 29th., mentions that both the natives and the white population were disappointed over the operation of the New Zealand mandate over Samoa. He states that ho'was informed that the natives were engaging in preparing a petition imploring that Samoa should he withdrawn from th-a control of New Zealand and placed under the control of Britain.]