REPORT AMOUNTS TO PLAIN FALSEHOODS, SAYS MR. FRASER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 167, 20 July 1946, Page 5

REPORT AMOUNTS TO PLAIN FALSEHOODS, SAYS MR. FRASER

N.Z. ADMINISTRATION OF SAMOA (P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., July 19. When a cable quoting Quentin Pope's report from Apia to the “Chacago Tribune" was referred to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) to-day. Mr. Fraser- said that what was reported was simply a tissue of misrepresentations amounting in total to plain falsehoods. "New Zealand has never made one penny out of Samoa, nor is there any wish to do so,” said Mr. Fraser. “The grants which have been willingly and gladly given to improve the standards of education, health, communications, and public works in the territory have more than outweighed any profits from the former German plantations, which came to the ownership of the New Zealand Government as part of the reparation due by Germany after the 1914-18 war. The figures are that reparation estates have made profits in some years and losses in other years, with a balance of accumulated net profit, to March 31 this year (including an estimated 15000 for the year just closed) of £188,051. On the other hand, the subsidies granted by New Zealand towards the services provided for the Samoan people had amounted, by the same date, to £272,858. Over and above this, New Zealand has provided for the defence of the territory, and, during the war recently concluded, paid the full costs of the defence force stationed in Western Samoa for local defence, and comprised mostly of men of Samoan birth.

“It is a cardinal part of the policy of the present Government that New Zealand will not exploit Samoa, or the Samoans in any way, or take one penny from Samoa. This year’s estimates will contain provision for New Zealand helping the territory by providing scholarships for Samoan children in New Zealand school.'* special equipment and teaching aids for schools in Samoa, for assistance towards a South Pacific health scheme for the benefit of Samoa and towards a scheme of road development in the territory. Whatever the profit of the reparation estates may amount to, New Zealand's financial aid to Samoa will be greater.

Mr. Pope’s reported reference to the banana trade is another complete misrepresentation. The fruit is purchased in, and shipped from, Samoa by the reparation estates management, which has a convenient organisation for doing so, but completely on a non-profit basis. The estates receive a fixed sum of £6OO annually, which is little enough to cover the costs of the staff they employ in connection with the trade, and for the rest any margin made in one year is used solely to maintain or increase the price paid Samoan producers the following year. There never has been one penny transferred to the Consolidated Fund from the trading account operated in Samoa in connection with the banana trade there.

“To speak of banking profits, as Mr. Pope does, shows complete ignorance, or a desire to promote further misrepresentations, because the proceeds received are credited through Government accounts, and no bank transmits them, and there are no banking profits. “New Zealand has no intention of departing in any way from both the word and spirit of international trusteeship for Western Samoa, as accepted in the Charter of the United Nations.

“Mr. Pope’s report is just another instance of journalistic pandering to the anti-British Commonwealth of Colonel McCormick’s ‘Chicago Tribun,e* so notorious throughout the world during the war as an unscrupulous foe of democracy.” The article which Mr. Fraser refers to was cabled from New York and was published yesterday. It is as follows:

Samoans are very aggrieved at New Zealand’s exploitation of Samoa from which New Zealand js drawing hand-

some dividends, particularly from the so-called reparation estates which were former German plantations and all of which have gone to help New Zealand's Socialistic finances.

This is stated by the Chicago Tribune’s correspondent, Quentin Pope, in a message from Apia. Pope says the reparations estates also operate the banana trade to New Zealand which, with shipping gains and banking profits, go to New Zealand.

Samoans claim that they have never ceased to be an independent nation. They state that New Zealand is violating the solemn pledges made 1o Britain, America. and Germany. Samoan> also claim that foe German surrender did not mean that the island’s sovereignty was transferred because Germany never held Samoa.