DISCIPLINE BROKEN?

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 42, 19 February 1930, Page 10

DISCIPLINE BROKEN?

NAVY OFFICEE ON SAMOA

MR. H. E. HOLLAND'S COMMENT

The statement of Commodore Blake, of H.M._S. Dunedin (published yesterday), in regard to the.Samoa situation, was briefly commented on to-day by the Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. H. E. Holland).

"I voice the opinion of every member of the Parliamentary Labour Party," said Mr. Holland, "when I say that the conduct of Commodore Blake in putting into print damaging statements in .relation to the Government's policy in Samoa should not be tolerated by any Government. > The Commodore's business is to carry out the policy of whatever Government may happen to bo in office; it is no part of his duty to ■ dictate that policy, nor yet to explain it. That might well be left ■to the Minister of External Affairs, who in this case is the Prime Minister. Apart from the apparent untruth of the declaration that there is no 'alternative but to treat the Samoan people roughly in a militaristic sonse, it follows that such a statement, plus the proposal to have recourse to . means of starvation,. can only result in convincing the Samoaus that our policy towards "them is one of deliberate brutality which is to be persisted in until they are reduced to submission. .The reference. to certain of the Government's opponents as 'disloyal whites and.half-caste agitators' constitutes an abuse of the Commodore's office, and leaves him guilty of an impertinence which, along with tho other indiscretions referred to, will no doubt have brought him ere this a well-de-served reprimand. In any case, thg public will bo interested to learn wha™ view the Government takes of this extraordinary breach of discipline."