INDEPENDENCE OF WESTERN SAMOA

Chronicle (Levin), 25 July 1947, Page 7

INDEPENDENCE OF WESTERN SAMOA

Press Assn

By Telegraph

•Covyright

Received Thursday, 11.0 p.m. APIA, July 23. The Unitetl Nations Mission has made good progress with inquiries undertaken as the result of the selfgovernment petition from Western .yamoan chiefs to United Nations. This mission' has returned to Apia from a short visit to Tonga. Referbnces to the sjrstem under which Tonga reniains an independenl. kingdom but under the proteetion oi Great Britain, have occ-urred frequently in Bamoan statements to the mission in Apia and members of the mission have at times suggested that some of the Samoan speakers appear to have over looked the extent to which Britain affords guidance in various departments ■ of the Tongan Govemment as well as affording proteetion to the kingdom. Another point which has been emphasised by members of the mission, inciuding the ehairman, Mr. Francis B Sayre, during the hearing of Samoan representations, is that the first question aslced by United Nations when the mission returns to New York, will be whether the Samoans were able to provide a sound, united and stable govern ment of their own. It had been pointed out that" United Nations was not lilcely to recomniend the displacement of -the present administrative system unless something better is available to take over. At the same time it has been made clear that United Nations, like New Zealand, has the warmest sympathy for Samoan aspirations if only this stipulation can be met. The Samoan chiefs' spokesmen maintain that doubts expressed in several quarters as to the workability of a govemment headed by three Fautua (high chiefs) are groundless. They say that the Fautua could fill a position somewhat similar to that of King George in the British constitution — only- in Sainoa the setup there would be not one king but three. During the hearings members of the mission have asked how the Samoans propose to achieve unity- on matters which botli before and after the adveni of the Europeans in the islands, were Llie cause of warfare and which are sti.ll unsettled. No elearcut reply to thm question has yet been made. The niissiou expects to leave Apia within a few davs to continue the in quiry in remoter areas of the islands of Upolu- and Savaii. At a recent sitting a Samoan speaker referred to the straiu imposed on tlie visitors by the intense heat and hunnuity of Samoa's present unusual cool 'season. This was discounted by Mr. Sayre wlio said: "We have all fallen in iove with Samoa. "