"WANTS TO PROVOKE TROUBLE”

Evening Star, Issue 19783, 6 February 1928, Page 3

"WANTS TO PROVOKE TROUBLE”

MR NELSON REPLIES TO PREMIER THE DEPORTATIONS The Hon, 0. F. Nelson, one of the deportees from Samoa, forwards a lengthy reply to the recent statement by the Premier. The gist of it was contained in a Press Association telegram on Saturday. From the full statement we make the following extracts : In spite of all the inspired eulogies of the Medical Department, I confidently state that it never has had the confidence of either natives or Europeans. Any European or native who is ill, and can afford it., goes to Pago Pago, in American Samoa, for treatment rather than accept, the medical services which are provided out of the annual tax of £1 per adult male per annum. Ido not believe the Government assertion that the Mau is responsible for a mild outbreak of dysentery in Savaii. The Mau is proving a, very useful excuse now for every default or neglect on the part of the Administration. There was an outbreak of dysentery in 1920. General Richardson was then glad to lucre the assistance of a committee of merchants, including myself, formed to assist the Medical Department. Another serious outbreak occurred in 1926, and the natives openly told Administrator they were dissatisfied with the Medical Department. General Richardson, in his letters to me in 1926, claimed that dysentery was endemic to Samoa. This statement I challenged. The Administrator’s excuse for previous outbreaks of dysentery had been that it is endemic,. Tn© Man is the present excuse. Neither excuse is true.

It is no doubt ■ possible for a Government with the resources at its command and the assistance of a partisan press to delude the people for a time. But ultimately the truth must come out, and then what a, sorry specacle New Zealand mus cut before the world unless it repudiates the acts of its Government and the Samoan Administration 1 General Richardson had a splendid opportunity in Samoa. Before he arrived, glowing reports had been spread concerning him. He set out at first to ingratiate himself with both Europeans and natives. His methods, though somewhat cheap and undignified, were at first successful with the natives. At that time he used to be in my office nearly every day, consulting mo on matters of policy and seeking ray assistance. He shed his ingratiating ways, however, when he began to teel his feet and realised he had a free hand from the New Zealand Government. He reduced the Legislative Council to a farce by the use he made of his nominees, who constituted a majority of the Council. Samoan high chiefs who desired time to consider ’the Administrator’s haltbaked schemes were charged with disloyalty, banished without trial, and reprived of their chiefly titles. I'iitcsix chiefs were banished before the Man was formed, and fifty niter. In lieu of a trial these chiefs had to submit to au inquiry by some Fnipulc, or official whose report the Administrator acted upon. The conduct of certain ul the Administrator’s has, of course, contributed to the disrepute in which the. Administrator is held. Instances are numerous, but J shall at present mention only one. The schoolmaster, Foster, who recently murdered his wile and committed suicide in Christchurch, was teaching in Samoa. It became notorious that he was a sexual pervert. The Administrator allowed him to come back to New Zealand. Whether the New Zealand educational authorities were warned of his character I am unable to sav, but it is amazing to think that he should he let loose in New Zealand amongst your boys as a schoolmaster, choirmaster, and scoutmaster. Surely it must he plain why unrest has arisen in Samoa. Let me say at once that Prohibition has nothing to do with it. Prohibition is not General Richardson’s baby, it was in force before he arrived. He has openly told the Europeans in Samoa that he. does not believe in it. He did not give evidence in favor of Prohibition before the Royal Commission, No official gave such evidence. The inspector of police and other leading officials gave dence against Prohibition. The Europeans, while they dislike Prohibition, do not blame General Richardson for it. Prohibition has nothing to do with the present unrest, and Mr Contes knows that. Mr Coates makes capital out, ot the fact that Mau police in uniform boarded the Tofua. when I wont on board. He may not know—but the Administrator does—that T did my best to stop the formation of the Man police. The Administrator knows that 1 have usfed the utmost efforts and have not hesitated even to sacrifice my own dignity to preserve the peace at all costs. Latterly the only thing that has kept the natives from taking the law into their own hands is their belief that General Richardson desires to provoke a revolt in order to justify the repressive measures he lias taken.. But to return to my fellow-victims and myself—wherein have we offendedP All we have done has been to present complaints to the Government of New Zealand and to Parliament concerning General Richardson’s maladministration and tyranny. And for that sole reason we are banished from our homes, driven away from our businesses, and separated from our relations and friends.

T protest against the sending ot extra police to Samoa. I protest against the demonstratiot with maxim guns, marie at the rifle range, and the silly talk about the bomber and bis Mills bombs, and the fleet hovering within call. My protest will not affect the Government, I am sure, but 1 want to put it on record because I believe that, now, not only the Administrator, hut also the Zealand Government wants to provoke trouble.