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Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1928, Page 2

It is (1 iflicii l l. to gauge what is really happening at Samoa. 'l’lio Prime Alinister’s statement is not at all illuminating, and certainly not satisfying. Just why there is so much secrecy and shrouding oi the position is not clear. ■New Zealand should have nothlingL. hide indeed should be anxious that nil the world .should know .ins! what is happening. Still, the warships are h coring round, and the n,avals are on guard. There are pictures published c.i the naval force ashore in full fighting kit, with mobile guns fixed at dilforent paints. That is not pleasant to eontemplate. nor aloes it altogether lit in with Air Orates’ “reassuring” statements on the .subject. There seems no reason why *t dady bulletin .should not b.- issued for the ill format ion of the world at large, for there is a wider interest in the course ol events Lilith ! lint elmiineal to tills 'Dominion; Oilc frtuulei's, too, wliat is the nature of the censorship supposed to be in force in Samoa. Air Holland’s pamphlet, said to be harmful in character, appears to be circulating, and it would appear the contents is aggravating the situation. On top of that there was an alarming code message sent to the Auckland Herald which put forward what is said to< be an exaggerated statement of the position. These two instances show that the censorship sit tlie best is lax. Then again, the Government was slow in refuting the. contents of the Herald message, and the Prime Alinistor had to Wait the arrival of despatches by it returning warship before makilig a brief public statement Wiiv this ilciay, atid the lived for sending it wafsilipoi) so cosily iv Voyage illicit Salima is linked up frill) New Zealand by aerial colnimuiiciilioh ? these unanswered questions raise further suspicion that all is not Weil lit Samoa, and emjfiasiso The need there is for a ole'Ar and definite stalenient on the situation which is being dVafrii out unduly if the matters are not actually too difficult.