RIOTING IN SAMOA

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 9

RIOTING IN SAMOA

ADMINISTRATOR TELLS STORY. REPLY TO CRITIC IN ’SLAND. (Press Association Extraordinary.) Wellington, Last Night. ■ The Prime Minister announced tonight that a copy of the cablegram to Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., with reference to Western Samoa had been transmitted by wireless to the Administrator of Samoa, who had been requested to comment upon it point by point. Following is a copy of the Administrator’s reply received to-night: —•"Frederick Polley arrived at Apia by the December voyage of the Tofua, and was employed for ten days by the Public Works Department. He stayed with a native Mau man and left by the ..last voyage of the Tofua with Mr. HallSkelton.

"One arrest only was attempted and the police did not fire until attacked. Sergeant Fell was knocked senseless and the others were batoned and stoned. No riflemen, police or otherwise, were on the courthouse verandah. Some police, including Constable Abraham, who had been cut off from the main party, ran back down the alley when Constable Abraham was killed, and these used revolvers. The Lewis gun fired one burst only over the heads of the crowd down Ifi Ifi Street, where by rifle fire Tamasese and one other were fatally injured and two others wounded.

“The Lewis gun fired no burst into the Apia native village, but one over the village and one into, the ground in front of the police station to stop an attack from that direction. No women or children were wounded or at any time in danger, from the fire, and the two boys reported killed were full-grown. One who had recently been involved in a stoning • attack was shot in Ifi Ifi Street. “Tamasese came from the middle of the procession and may have tried- to stop the attack on the police station but was shot in the road. He was not deliberately sniped and if he was calling out to the mob he would use the Samoan language, which Polley does not understand.

“Matau (the man whose arrest was attempted) and Autagavaia have both been wanted for some .time, but they never appeared in Apia and were kept hidden by the Mau. “At the inquest Kruse (an adherent of the Mau) gave evidence that he was warned by Police Inspector Braisby and he in turn warned Tamasese that the wanted men would be arrested if they were in the procession. The attempt made by Mr. Skelton and others to work up a meeting failed entirely and I think the general feeling supports me. Can Mr. Polley in Suva know what was published in New Zealand?

“Please note the medical evidence shows that no person treated at the hospital received more than one wound, which discounts the machine-gun story. Also Mr. Polley could not see both the point when Tamasese was killed and the Apia native village at the * same time.

“Also in evidence at the inquest Tuimalealiifano (one of the leading Mau chiefs) stated that the Mau had warning of the arrest but nevertheless the wanted men were paraded, and further that the Mau committee gave instructions to resist arrest if the police went to Vaimoso to arrest Matau or anyone else. “A full inquiry is being made at the inquest into all the circumstances and every opportunity is being given to call evidence. The inquest will probably be finished to-morrow and I expect the verdict on Saturday.”