N.Z. AND SAMOA.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17365, 29 March 1928, Page 9

N.Z. AND SAMOA.

WHAT EX-SOLDIERS THINK. "Enzcd" writes lo a Sydney paper— New Zealanders who were in the Expeditionary Force which look Samoa, in 1914, will shout with laughter when they bear the tale that Samoan natives arc defying the Navy represented there by the cruiser Diomedes. The Samoans arc the simplest, most guileless people. They are extremely Ja/.y and rather timid, though mostly of maginflcenl physique. If the cruiser were In fire a couple of shrapnel shells over a village the whole native population would lake to the hills and stay there, t When the two German cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorsl loomed up off Apia during the military occupation, and it, looked as if there would be trouble any minute, the natives fell over one another to get mil of the way. in that case they would have had no part in the impending argument. How would they go if they thought they would be the targets?

A REPLY. "13 Bar Anzac" writes in reply— As the one first Lo land in Apia with Lhc Now Zealand Expeditionary Force 1 cannot join with "Enzed's" 'shouts of laughter' at llio tragedy being enacted in Samoa. "Enzcd" maw have learned enough of Samoan simplicity and guilelessnes.s lo know that the tales regarding interfering willi women are only invented lo tend colour lo ads of repression and the strict censorship to prevent these fhildreii of truth from telling us what is Iranspiring. As I write I have he fore ine a letter from a naval ollieer of four years' war experience, in which pages iiave heen painted mil |.o suppress- -whal V Whal would a naval olllcer lei) us lhal would iml I ' l ' I" Hie inleresls of Samoa and of us Lo know? The sliftement that Llio Sarnoans would "lake lo Ihe hills" whim lhc '•''"isers fired a eoupl • shrapnel shi-lls reveals Ihe very lark of infnrmali"'i lhal Inis imperilled lhc pivslig,. of Now Zealand as a mandatory power.