PEACE CONGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12688, 9 July 1919, Page 3

PEACE CONGRESS.

MANDATE FOR SAMOA.

(From R. RILEY, Official Correspondent.)

PARIS, May 8,

The question of the disposal of German Samoa was first considered by the Supremo Council of the Allied and Associated Powers on Friday, January 24, at the Peace Conference Rooms, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, Mr W. F. Massey, Prime Minister, the Dominion’s plenipotentiary (Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance, being a member of the British panel of plenipotentiaries) presenting the case for New Zealand. It was not until May 7, at a meeting of the Council of Four (President Wilson, Mr Lloyd George, M. Clemenceau and Signor Orlando) immediately following the presentation of the Allied and Associated Powers’ terms to the arrogant and truculent German delegates at Versailles, that the allotment of mandates for the control of the former German colonies in Africa and the Pacific was finally madeIt is not necessary to repeat the interesting “conversations” that preceded the Council’s decision, nor the arguments put forward by the representatives of tlie oversea dominions concerned, further than, to note that the’ mandates in regard to the ex-German possessions in the South Pacific included the safeguards urged by General. B’otha, Mr Massey and Mr Mu M. Hughes in respect of the original proposal to give equality of access to all countries members of the League of Nations and to maintain the “open.door” as regards Customs charges and the like. These delegates secured the adoption of the principle that the countries placed un-

der their mandatory control should be administered ns integral parts of the respective mandatory States. The mandate given to New Zealand in respect of German Samoa is as follows :■ — Article 1. —Germany renounces all hqr rights and title over the islands constituting German Samoa. Article 2—The Allied and Associated entrust the government of the islands to his Britannic Majesty to be exercised by his Majesty's Government of the Dominion of New Zealand. The said Government shall have full legislative, administrative and judicial power over the islands as an integral portion of the territory of New Zealand, and may apply the laws of New Zealand thereto, subject to such local modifications as circumstances may require. Article 3.—His Britannic Majesty in and for his Government of the Dominion of -New Zealand accepts the mandate for the administration of the islands upon the footing that the trust is imposed and accepted for the wellbeing and development of the pe'oples of the islands, and to that end undertakes that the slave trade and forced labour shall bo prohibited, the traffic in arms and ammunition shall he controlled in accordance with any general convention which may he entered into by tlie’ H.O-P. in this behalf, the sale of spirituous liquors to tile natives shall be prohibited, and the military training of the natives otherwise than for purposcs' of internal police and the local defence of. the islands shall be prohibited. Furthermore, uo military, or naval bases shall bo established and no fortifications shall ho erected in the islands cither by tlie Government of New Zealand or by any Power or person.

Article 4. —The value of the property in the islands belonging to the German Government shall he assessed and shall be reckoned in the Inter-Allied Reparation Fund and regarded as allocated to the share tof tlie Government of New Zealand. Article -s.—The. exnenses of the administration of the islands, if the revenues obtained from local sources are insufficient, will be defrayed by the Government of New Zealand. Article 6.—lf at any time the native inhabitants of the islands express a desire to be united with New Zealand, and if the Council.of the League of Nations Consider this desire on their part to be conscious and well-founded and calculated to promote their interest, the Allied and Associated Governments agree that effect shall he given to it by the Council of the League, and the islands Shall thereupon he incorporated in New Zealand for all rmrnoses, and the. administration under' this Convention shall ho regarded as at an end; provided that all the undertakings set out in Article 3, including the prohibition against tlie establishment of miiiIf- r y j u) d naval bases or fortifications shall bo maintained and shall Continue to operate in the islands after such incorporation-

. Article 7.—The inhabitants of the islands shall be entitled to British diplomatic protection when in foreign countries.

Articlo B.—The Government of the Dominion of New Zealand will make an annual report containing full information with regard to the islands and indicating the measures taken to carry out the obligations assumed under iiv- ailf ‘ lc extent to which the well-being and development of the innabitants is progressing.