FUTURE OF SAMOANS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 July 1947, Page 5

FUTURE OF SAMOANS

*press Assoeigtion

Self-Government May Not Be A Blessing

By Telegraph

Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. APIA, July 7. - A complex test case. faees the mission from TJnited Nations Trnsteeship .Council which arrived at Apia on Saturday from New York via New Zealand says the A.A.P.-Reuter correspondent. The misSion will establish its headquarters at Apia but will visit outlying parts of Western Samoa during its investiga tions which have been undertaken at the invitation of New Zealand as the result of a Samoan petition to Unifed Nations for self-governnxent, It is elear that the petition was not the result of any' upsurge of united nationalism among the Samoan people; as a whole, Agitation for immediate' self -government is far from being unanimously supported even among the influential chiefs and the movement draws its strength mainly from the' traditionally yocal sections and from com,mercial interests controlled by part Samoans. As in pre-Europe.an days, the Samoan political life is dominated by a triunjvirate of princely families— Malietoa, Mataafa and Tamasese. It has been suggested that the present heada of these royal families might become ' ' presidents " of a future Samoan Gov- , .ernment- — presamably by rotation. The awkward question of precedence is so far unanswered. The record of intertribal wars whieh led to the partitioning of Samoa between Germany and America in 1S99/.1900 and deeply rooted factional disputes which have survived until today, do not encourage optimism along these lines. There is a considerable body of moderate Samoan opinion which, while^ supporting the ideal of future self-government, is strongly opposed to sudden political changes which might conceivably lead to a semi-dic-tatorship by a group or groups. Samoans who have stopped to think of the consequences, say openly that they will not support a policy that, if carried through, wouid mean the withdrawal of what other South Sea peoples call the spoon-feeding of Samoa by New Zealand. Samoans today are not taxed for expensive health and education services or for public works maintained out of the New Zealand taxpayer's pocket. No Samoan administration ev.en if sound and efficient, could be established and operated which could provide a comparable serviee without taxatiou. Today the averag-e Samoan may have comparatively little money but fear of want never eomes near him and his standard of living, education and health is immensely higher than that of almost any other island people. The Samoans themselves con.ce.de that whatever blunders New Zealand officialdom may have committed, it has jealously •proteeted the Samoan way of life and has guarded Samoans against any form of exploitation whether by the commerr cial " enterprise" tourist, traffic promoters or unfair competition from imported Orientai aliens who, in other island groups, have dug themselves in and pushed aside the island.ers in their own homelands. The United Nations investigators will have to decide whether the plea that ' ' Samoans should have the right to manage their own aff airs, ' ' is worth the sacrifices that such a policy wouid obviously entail. Eurther they will have to decide whether a petition from the Fono of Saipule (Parliament of Chiefs) represents the considered desire of the Samoan people as a whole. "It is not for us to make any deeision but it is our purpose to diseover all information which will enable the Trus teeship Council to make just, appropiate and wiee reeommendations with respect to your petition," said the United .Nations Mission in its first statement since arrival at Apia. "Any change in the administration of the islands wll require the concurrence of the New Zealand Government. "In discussions in New Zealand the mission has been aasured by the Prime Minister that the New Zealand Government will give the greatest weight to the reeommendations following this mission 's visit to Western Samoa." European and part European communities in Western Samoa have every sympathy with the Samoan desire for self-government but believe that a transition period of teu years or possibly longer will be needed during which tfye Samoans can be trained . to take over official posts as posts are vacated by New Zealanders. This was emphasised at a large meeting of Europeans and part Europeans on Sunday. The meeting endorsed a policy drawn up by a committee previously appointed to place the views of the communities before the Mission, The committee reported that at meetings with the Samoan chiefs there was "too mueh. dignity and too little agreement ' ' maim ly because the committee sto.od by a transition period of gradual change over while the high chiefs held to a demand for immediate control of every? thing and anything relating to the Samoan people. The chiefs also demanded that 5000 part-Samoans shouffi declare whether they are Samoans or Europeans. To this part the Samoans who are in a majority on the committee, reported that this issue was not raised by United Nations but by the chiefs who had no right to dietate "a division of our blood".