COL. ALLEN’S WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1928, Page 2

COL. ALLEN’S WIN

KING'S BIRTHDAY AT APIA THRILLING MOMENTS. VICTORY FOR NEW ZEALAND. . Suva, July 5. The King® Birthday, 1928, will never be forgotten in Samoa, according to people who have just returned from a visit there, gays tlm Auckland Star. What happened was a triumph for the recently installed Administrator Col. 8. 8. Allen, D. 5.0., and through him for New Zealand, which exercises" a mandate over Samoa. It wag a triumph, too, for the Mau, showing that they are capable to taking a defeat in a fine, sporting spirit. The Mau are standing solid, eyj. dently, in their demand for a. change of Government from that of New Zealand. Most people who have been there gay that there is no doubt about this. Beyond this determined stand there is no feeling of disloyalty to the Empire, no desire to spurn the flag of the Empire or to separate from the Empire, Accordingly, the King’s Birthday wag a day calling for the ugual ceremony of a march past with a salute, either to the King’s representative or to the flag. , WOULD SALUTE FLAG ONLY. . , A salute to the King’s representative, Colonel Allen, the appointee of the New Zealand Government, was out of the question, therefore, the Mau police, soldiers and people would salute the flag. The organisation for the event went ahead, the greatest secrecy being maintained. Most important it was that the Administrator and Government should not know the time set for thg ’march past. The Administrator did not know the time set, and, in spite af repeated efforts on the part of his staff, he was in ignorance on the very morning of the King’s Birthday. The Colonel, Mrs. Allen, the A.D.C., and a guest came down for breakfast that morning about 7.45. One of the first questions asked was whether any information had been secured as to the arrangements for the day. It was an unenviable position for the Administrator to be in. STARTLING NEWS. No news was available, but the guest had been in Apia on the previous evening and volunteered the information that he had heard, on reliable authority, that event was timed for eight o’clock that morning. It was then 10 minutes to eight. Consternation reigned supreme. The Administrator was in his morning clothes, and Apia was four miles away. Mrs. Allen was the firet to move. She made for the bedroom arid pulled out the Colonel’s uniform. The A.D.C. made for the garage and dashed to the front door with the car. Struggling with hie uniform, the colonel scrambled into the car, which leaped forward in a wild dash for the flagstaff in front of the Government Buildings’ in Apia. As the clocks started to chime the hour of eight an Immaculate Administrator stepped coolly from hie motor car, walked calmly to the saluting base and raised »his arm to take the salute as the first file of the Mau procession came abreast. A THRILLING MOMENT. It was a thrilling moment. Chiefs standing grouped near the base saw the Administrator arrive. Not an eyelid flickered. Tamasese, who led the procession, expecting to ealute the flag, suddenly saw his Excellency anoear below it. His step did not falter, his salute was perfect, and the Mau masses filed past in perfect order. , A tactical victory had been scored, the Mau recognised it, and the first to congratulate him was the man who had led the procession and ordered the salute.