SAMOA TO-DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18005, 28 April 1930, Page 7

SAMOA TO-DAY.

‘THESE CHARMING PEOPLE’ MAU AT CLOSE QUARTERS. “Had the late William Schwenck Gilbert been permitted the opportunity of visiting Samoa during this year of grace, 1930, he would have found pabulum in plenty for a comic opera that would have amused the whole world. Not only is the setting there, but also an island atmosphere (faintly aromatic with copra), colour, movement, and episodes.” That is the opinion of Dr. Hughes Sleele, of Wellington (as published in the Dominion), who has just returned from a holiday trip to the group, and who declares that to anyone will a sense of numour the situations which have arisen since the Mau trouble developed have certainly been Gilbertian. Dr. Steele says there is something amusingly theatrical about the Mau, which only holds its parades when a steamer arrives in port, so that it will have an audience, preferably one without understanding, for its performances. As the result of a parade which took place on the day Dr. Steele arrived at Apia there were seventy-two arrests. A Prison Problem. “Of course,” said Dr. Steele, "if they went on arresting the Samoans in batches like this everybody on the island would be in prison. It was my mentioning something of my difficulty in accounting for the straits the authorities must be put to in imprisoning these people which cast some light on the prison system of the island. “It must be remembered that there art many chiefs in Samoa; about one man to every ten is a chief of some standing, but perhaps one in every hundred is a real hidalgo of many quarterings. A proportion of these are prisoners (Mau prisoners for the •most part), and these are made warders to assist the few genuine officials of the island to control the prisoners. In the daytime the prisoners are not placed under any specially harassing control; they seem to go as they list within certain boundaries, but always return at sunset in order to be locked up by their own chief, who then retires to the tool-shed and looks himself up." “Grown-up Children.”

Dr. Steele was told of one incident which bears out the contention that “these charming people,” as he calls them, are really like grown-up children; very polite,' and courteous, and he thought single-minded. This incident, he thought, displayed the native mind pretty accurately. It was before the big trouble in which Tamasese was killed. There was an agitation for a' big parade, and one of tbe Mau party came upon a chief, who, though a prisoner, was allowed probably as much liberty as be wished.

“You oome along; take part big Mau demonstration," urged tbe tempter. “No —me no come along. Me prisoner.” ,

“Prisoner no good—you come along big fine parade of. Mau. March—-pom-pom I” “No," said the chief. “Mete prisoner. . No oan do two things at once —be prisoner and march .with Mau. I te prisoner now!” And away he went and looked himself up for the night. On another occasion a chief of good standing, who had become mixed up with the Mau, and was a prisoner for his sins, informed the Administrator that there was something going wrong with his family affairs, and. begged leave to go forth -and put his house in order. Knowing his man, Colonel Allen consented.

“How long will you take?" he asked the prisoner-chief. “Oh, in ’bout three days, I fix him.”

All right, off you go I” 1 Away he went to some more or less remote part of the island, and sure enough he returned at the end of three days, reporting that he had fixed everything, and ws once more prisoner. Build Their Own Prison.

“Once upon a time the whole island was inexpressibly shocked by a brutal murder committed by a . Chinaman who, after the deed, had taken to the bush. Even the prisoners were enraged that such things should be, and begged the Administrator to allow them their liberty to help catch the murderer. This was done, but after being absent for a couple of days they all returned to report their failure to find the Chinaman. Eventually he was captured, and when brought into camp, the prisoners formed a ring round him themselves, and dared him to attempt to escape. I believe the murderer subsequently paid the full penalty for his sin. At the present time there is insufficient prison accommodation, and the prisoners are engaged in building one for themselves.

“As I said before, the Samoans are very like children,” continued Dr. Steele, “hut they have a peculiar psychology which is not always understood. They are an extremely pleasant and sunny-natured people to meet, very polite, and even if they do not agree with you they will not perhaps show it, but will grow profoundly obstinate in adhering to their belief. Togo to gaol is nothing to the Samoan. To him and his race a spell in gaol carries no stigma; and he lias gone to gaol (where he receives his three meals a day and a pillow at night) for what he considers a principle. The while man’s Government has got nothing out of him, rather has he got something out of the white man’s Government. Under such circumstances it seems futile to imprison these people. . . . Fostered By Agitators. "While I was in Apia I tried to get to understand the Mau and what lies behind it. I questioned intelligent, well-educated Samoans who just could not explain what the Mau was and what it wanted. They laugh and play about and wear flowers in their hair, but honestly I do not believe half of them know anything about the Mau movement, not can they explain what it stands for. . . You don’t notice anything wrong when you’re there. They are all very charming and friendly; and as far as I could see were making no fuss. It was just a movement fostered by a few' agitators who were under the influence of certain malcontents interested in the trading business of the country.”