Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1919

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1919

THE SAMOAN MANDATE. A few days ago it was announced that the Peace Conference had decided that New Zealand should bo the mandatory power to control Samoa. On the whole this news was received with satisfaction. The people of New Zealand were quite uuanimous that Samoa should never again go back to Germany, aud a very strong case was made out in support oiSthat view, Beyoud that it is doubtful whether the matter had received much consideration. Whether New Zealand was in a position to assume the responsibility of controlling and efficiently governing an island possession so far removed from its own shores and ip which owing to climatic conditions labour and other probloms would have to bo faced possessing materially different features to those in the Dominion was at least debateable. It might reasonably have been contended that New Zealand had enough to do to develope its own resources and to sec to the matters immediately affecting its own interests. The view generally held was no doubt that Great Britain would have taken over Samoa for until the past few weeks the League of Nations sell erne was nebulous. Howevei, ns New Zealand has been accorded the distinction of being regarded as a sep.arate nation under the League of Nations proposition, no doubt it would have accepted the mandatory, and there were several reasons why ft would have been preferable to do so rather than to have the islands controlled hy any foreign power. Tho news is now cabled out that Mr Lloyd George urged President AVilson to assume mandatory responsibilities over the islands aud that the President may suggest to Congress that the United States should accept tli'e mandatory. At this stage we would suggest that no notice he taken of this rumour which is only based on the statement of a correspondent to an American paper. There have been several rumours regarding Peace Conference matters emulated by American correspondents which have been absolutely baseless. so, but it would seem as though they were deliberate!} spread abroad with a view to sow dissension. It is very doubtful whether there is the slightest truth in the present one, which is quite contrar} to what we were hitherto led to believe was-the position regarding Samoa.