CONTROL OF SAMOA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 185, 1 May 1919, Page 5

CONTROL OF SAMOA

THE NEW ZEALAND MANDATE TRUSTEE FOR BRITAIN By Telejraph-Press ■ Association-Copyrleht London, April 19 (delayed). Official: The revised draft of the mandate for New Zealand's control of Samoa has been prepared. It is impossible at this 6lage to make the details public', but the main principles may be outlined. Germany is to renounce all her rights, and the Allied Powers entrust the government of the islands to His Britannic Majesty, to be exercised by the New Zealand Government with full legislative, administrative, and judicial power over tho islands as an integral portion of New Zealand territory? to which the New Zealand laws shall, be applied, subject to any ''necessary local modification. The trust is to be accepted for the wellbeing and development of the. natives, and to that end New Zealand is to undertake to prohibit the slave trade, forced labour and the sale of spirituous liquors. There will be no military training of the natives except lor police and local defence duties, and no fortifications or-military or naval bases shall be erected. It is provided that if the natives at any time express a. desire to be united with New Zeaand, and if the Council of the League of Nations considers the desire well founded, and conscious, the Allied Powers agree that effect shall be given to it and the islands will be incorporated in New. Zealand, i

The provisions generally represent a marked difference from the original proposals when the matter was discussed before the Council of the Peace Conference. -The safeguards, advocated by the oversea delegates have been accepted. Apparently it is not clenrly understood in New Zealand , that the mandate could not be accepted by Great Britain for any former German colonies in the Pacific, so there never was any conflict ef opinion between the delegates of New Zealand and tho Mother Country. Mr. •' Massey throughout has advocated the • British policy-with certain safeguards from the Dominion point of view. The area of the Sanioan Group formerly held by Germany is over one thousaud square miles. The portion occupied by America is about seventy-five square .miles.—Aus.-W.Zi. Cable Assn.