Full Report On Samoa.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18544, 18 August 1928, Page 12

Full Report On Samoa.

NONE OF CHARGES SUBSTANTIATED. GOVERNMENT’S UNCERTAIN ATTITUDE CRITICISED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 18. The text of the report of the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations on its recent examination of the Samoan question has been issued by the Prime Minister toda\' as follows: The Permanent Mandates Commission has made a detailed study of the report of the Royal Commission of inquiry into the events which occurred in the Samoan Islands in 1926 and 1927, and of the documents forwarded by the Mandatory Power with this report. It has also carefully considered the petition addressed to it by the Anti-Slavery and Aboriginals Protection Society of London, by a certain number of natives through Messrs Findlay, Hoggard, Cousins and Wright, and by Mr O. F. Nelson and by Mr Newton Rowe. It has spent several sittings in studying these matters, and has heard an additional explanation given by Sir James Parr, the representative of the Mandatory Power, and Major-General Richardson, the former Administrator of Samoa. A full account of the discussion of the Permanent Mandates Commission will be found in its minutes, which it is essential to 'consult in connection with the following conclusions. It is the considered opinion of the Commission that none of the charges of any importance against the Administration (which have been made in various petitions) have been substantiated, and that none contain any evidence of policy or action contrary to the Mandate. On the contrary, the local Administration seems to have made every effort to improve the condition of life of the native population, notably in regard to public wealth and education, as well as in regard to agricultural production and commerce. The commission cannot too strongly condemn the action of Mr O. F. Nelson and those associated with him. who seem to have been inspired less by a desire for the public welfare than by a personal ambition and interests. By unworthy means they have worked upon the minds of an impressionable people, who, prior to their propaganda, showed no disquieting signs of discontent.

The Commission is satisfied that the Administrator acted with great patience, if not perhaps always with sufficient psychological insight, and showed forbearance and confidence in the people, which may have been misunderstood, and so to some extent may have undermined his authority. The lamentable absence of sufficient means to enforce the laws which it was his duty to uphold placed him in an extremely difficult situation, and this situation was made all the more delicate by the uncertain attitude of the Government. The Commission has noted with satisfaction the action taken by the Mandatory Power in setting up an impartial commission of inquiry, and is communicating to the League its very full report. This report, with the evidence on which its conclusions are based, was of great assistance to the Commission in forming its own judgment. The presence before it of MajorGeneral Richardson, the responsible Administrator from 1923 to 1927, and the frankness of his statements were also very useful in view of the statement that unrest in Samoa will probably continue until the League comes to a decision. The Commission considers it of the greatest importance that it should be clearly understood that the Mandatory Power alone is responsible for maintaining law and order in accordance with the Mandate. The Commission is assured that adequate means for that purpose are now at the disposal of Major-General Richardson’s successor, and it trusts that the Samoans, when they realise that they have been misled, will resume their former attitude of confidence in the Administration, and that the Mandatory Power will soon be able to re-establish peace and prosperity in Western Samoa by a policy both firm and liberal.