SAMOAN EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 246, 11 July 1919, Page 7

SAMOAN EPIDEMIC COMMISSION

. .•' ——*— — , COLONEL LOGAN'S EVIDENCE COMMUNICATION WITH PAGO PAGO WHY WAS IT CUT OFF? By Telecranh—Press Association/ Auckland, July 10. The Samoan Epidemic Commission opened its sitting this morning, when the evidence of Colonel Logan, Administrator of the island at tho tinio of the epidemic, was takeii. The evidouco lor the most part related to the sending of a telegram from Governor Foyer, of Pago Pago, to tho American Consul at Apia (Mr. . Mitchell). Tho telegram, whioa vas re--1 ceived at Apia on November 19, lend' iia ' follows:—"Greatly regret to hear of seriousness of tho opidomic, and extend sympathy and hopes for tilie recovery of Mrs. Mitchell. No case here yet. To avoid risk of contagion - hero will require all vessels from Apia to undergo five days of

absolute quarantine before discharge or taking off any mail or cargo, iiequest you to inform authorities of liais position. Please inform me if we can be of any service or assistance." Speaking of the statement of ("jilonel Logan,' which had been handed l to tho commission at Auckland, to be opened and read when the proceedings at Samoa commenced, the 'chairman 6aid the part of Colonel Logan's statement in vliie'h he said that the- evidence before the coinmission would probably go to prove that the epidemic was brought by the Talune on her, October trip was correct. The evidence did show that tiiio Talune brought the epidemic to Samoa, without a shadow of doubt. The evidence which the commission wished to.obtain from Colonel Logan, tho chairman said, related firstly, to tho , message from the Governor of Pago Pago to the American Consul. Tne chairman: Do you still spy, that you have not tho slightest recolleotim of s any telegram being handed to you .by the United States Consul or of any offer of n assistance from Pago Pago? Colonel Logan: I now recollect the telegram far as it concerned the quarantine regulations, but! certainly have no remembrance of an offer of medical assistance. The chairman: T'id you Jiot yourself censor ■'the telegram?. V ■ ' Colonel Logan:.Yes, I pro'baW-y. did. The'chairman:.Did you appreciate that • it was an offer of assistance?.. Colonel Logan: I had not the slightest recollection of that portion of the telegram until I received a copy from the Minister of Defence. As I'tak.e it, the iast portion of tho telegram might have referred to Mrs. Mitchell. The quarantine suggestion was the only part that concerned me at the time. The chairman: The consul was very Temiss in not handing you a copy of the telegram. The message has been frightfully exaggerated.. Both .it Samoa and Pago Pago we. pointed out that the last paracraph might have referred to Mrs. Mitchell.. ' Colonel Logan: When I'first got tho ielegram from tho; Minister of Defence the point that struck me was that it Hooked like a private arid an official telegram mixed up.- ' Colonel Logan w-ent on to say that while it was quite correct to communicate with the consul about matters relating to quarantine! any' question concerning the epidemic should have been , referred to the offico of the administration. The consul was not a diplomatic agent. ... i The chairman said' that as Pago Pago , was free from disease, and near to Samoa, it might have occurred to Colonel Logan to ask for'assistance. , \ Colonel Logan replied that it did not, occur to him to ask for"medical assist-' .ance. As far as he knew there was only one medical .officer, one' dental officer, the matron of the hospital, one or twonurses, andsome Samoan trained nurses at Pago Pago. ". The chairman pointed or.t that there was no epidemic at. Pago Pago. Samoa, he said, was in.a shocking slate. Nearly everybody was down with the disease.. The number of deaths was enormous, and the assistance was meagre.. He, personally, thought that Colonel Logan should have cabled to ell tho nearest places for help, anil thereby obtained a few people to assist! . ■ Colonel Logan ropiied that he wired to New Zealand, but it- never ocourred to him to communicate 'with Pago Pago.' He would not have done this in any ease without special permission from-the New Zealand Government, and if he had considered communicating with.Pago Pa§o ho would have done so through the Gov-ernor-General of New Zealand. The chairman pointed out that although Colonel Logan might not have 1 known it, Pago Pago was prepared to Bend assistance to Samoa if a reply 1 ad been received to the telegram. Eef erring again to the telegram the phairnian asked whether Colonel Logan, having censored the telegram and weighed every - word, did not realise that • it ' was • an offer of help. Colonel Logan said that he did not • read it so carefully, as censor, as it was in the nature of. an official document. He wished tho Commission to notice that while it was correct for tho consul to be communicated with about the quarantine arrangements, an offer of help should have come direct to himself as' Administrator. " The evidence taken, subsequently referred to the closing of the Samoan wiremf s statloll to signals from Pago Prigo. J. he portion of the evidence given by - Sergeant M'Callum, who was in charge or the Samoan station, was read, in which he stated' that the strain upon 'him had not been relived by tho shutting out of Pago Pago. He had not c-oni-r'a'n«l. and had considered it peculiar that Pago Pago should be excluded. They were calling and calling but acting on on instruction given him- by Colonel ■ Logan, he was unable to notice them This condition of affairs, the chairman stated,-had given rise to a great many rumours. Pago Pago could not understand why they were shut out, and Samoa could not understand why Pago Pago was the only place' to be excluded. Ihey might have been anxious to offer •help. Pago Pago was closed down for trom four t6 seven days. Colonel Logan stated that he had excluded Pago. Pago in ordor to relievo the •.wireless operator, who had complained .to him. In one particular message of 130 words the operator said that ho was unable to guarantee the last thirty gioups. He was unfit to work, and car- <' ried on when he should have been in bed. The chairman: Did you let Pa<"o Pago know- it would' lie cut off ? Witness: I do not know that it occurred to ine to do so. The chairman: "It would have been a Kindly action to have informed Pigo Pago or the consul." As far as refusing to accept mails, wo must admire them for avoiding ovory possiblo risk of admitting influenza. The witness said that he was at a disaovautage now, speaking nine months after events had occurred, and not having his files. Any reasons or'explanations had now to bo from memory to a great extent. The chairman: Thore was great feeling down there that you had not much time for tho Americans, as they had not then entered into the war. Witness: Far from that,'tho Governor of Pago Pago has been a guest in my ow'i house. The chairman: Probably there is no fru;h in tho idea, but that feeling exists " down there. Witness: Yes, I knew that rumours exist nil. The- chairman: The fact that you down Pago Paco without telling , them vou were going to do so no doubt • nclrH'lo tho feeling. The witness explained that it was impossible for the wireless operator to work ,21 .'hours; therefore, he (Colonel Logan) look upon himself the responsibility of culling off tho naval listening. His instructions were that traffic must bo rcdii""d (i a minimum. The chairman: Then it was not through pique willi the Americans that you cut off Pago Pago? The witness said' ho, had already out off. naval listening before stopping Pago Paso. The operator had not asked for relief, but witness knew he was under a severo strain. The chairman: He states he was not overworked. ;

Witness: Not after the work had been reduced 75 per cent. The chairman: We came to'the conclusion that you cut off Pago Pago because they refused to take moils.

A great many questions were put to the witness in regard to his visit to the Papauta Mission School of the London Missionary Society, and coinjlnints made against him by teachers.

Tho chairman said it had been stated that Colonel Logan asked for to help to bury tho dead, and that ho had said he would burn tho house down.

Witness said he had been angry because this particular mission had done nothing but attend to its own girls, while other mission schools had taken charge of their districts. He had. told Miss Moore, who was in charge, that he know how to get the girls out, and when she asked how, lie replied "By putting a match to the building." He had asked them to send girls to feed tho sick.

Tho chairman: They say that the girls had been assisting. On the morning of this visit seventy girls were still ill, and the remaining, thirty, who were just out of bed, were not strong enough to do' any work. ■ Witness said he had seen girls playinn about the school for days. The chairman remarked, "You certainly made them get out. It is said that twenty-five of them, started out, and walked five miles, and that one died afterwards." Witness said the girls were just as fit to work as others who were working. The conduct of this particular school was un-Christian. "I told the principal," he said-, "that the school was a disgrace to Christianity. She was encouraging girls to do nothing."