AT SAMOA

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1930, Page 3

AT SAMOA

DEMAND TO SURRENDER TO POLICE. r ßy Telegraph, Per Press Association.) | APIA, Jan. 7. Resulting from the riots, public notices, in Samoan and English, signed by the Administrator (Colonel Allen) were posted yesterday at Apia, Viamoso and Lepea. These notified all Samoans who are not usually resident within the areas known as the Faleata and Vaimauga districts,, except such as shall have previously obtained the consent of the Police Inspector, that they are required to depart from the said districts to their own homes, on or before Saturday, January 11th. The notices say that persons whose names (giving 58 names) are set out, .and who. now were, or are living, in the Itu O Anoamaa Tuamasaga North or the Aanft. North districts, are required to be at Mulinuu to meet the Administrator on Wednesday, January Bth, at 9 a. m. The notices say: The following persons (naming 20 persons) charged with, or convicted of, offences set opposite to their respective names, and whose arrest has been prevented and hindered by the Man, are required to surrender—or to he delivered—to the 1/police, at Apia, before 12 noon : on Saturday, January 11th.

WARSHIP DUNEDIN SAILS. WITH AEROPLANE. AUCKLAND, Jan. 8. The cruiser “Dunedin” sailed from Auckland at 8.40 to-night, under sealed orders, brought from Wellington, -by. Commapder Nelson Clover, of H.M.S. “Philomel.” ; The destination of the cruiser has not been announced, but i,t was stated, earlier in the week, that the, warship would proceed to Suva, where she would remain ready to sail for Western Samoa, if required. All the. members of the cruiser’s company, who had -been on their aninual leave, with the execution ot five, have rejoined the ship. • The cruiser’s complement is, being made up with men from the Philomel. < A seaplane, i.s being carried by the; .Dunedin., Flightirt.ieut, S. Wallingford,. Corporal H. Smith (mechanic), and another mechanic, of the New Zealand Air Force have also left on the cruiser.

PREMIER’S STATEMENT. “DUNEDIN” GOING TO SV.MOA. ARRESTS TO BE MADE. WELTJNOTOX. Jan. 8. The Prime Minister announced late' to-night, that the Government had been in close consultation with the Administrator of Western Samoa since the recent riots jii the territory. . He stated:—“The Government are convinced that the fullest consideration ami the utmost patience have been accorded to the Mail, and. that they would be failing in their duty if they did not now take all necessary steps to assert the law, and to preserve order in the territory. Ample warning has been given to The i\|au .who have been advised time ano again of the Government’s desire to i be generous, conciliatory and sympathetic as soon as the Man’s defiance of the law was abandoned and it has been, made abundantly ejea: that if . The Mau have any real grievances (which is not believed to be tin case), the Government lias been at. all times,' and. still are. willing to consider them as soon as . the attitude of The Mau should make this possible. But it is unfortunately true that The Mau and their supporters, both ip New Zealand and Samoa, have, in their deliberate course of lawlessness, been trading on the natural reluctance of any Government of this .country to use force against misguided Natives, except as a final resort. With the death at the hands ol The Mau of a New Zealand constable during the execution of bis duty, the situation has materially altered, and, in collaboration with the Administrator, the Government will now proceed to take such action as may be necessary. The Administrator has accordingly been authorised to deliver to The Mau a list of those men wanted on criminal charges, and to require that they should, within five days, be handed over to the Administrator for trial. Failing compliance the necessary steps will v be taken to arrest them. The Administrator has also been authorised to notify all membeis of The Mau congregated at Maimose and Lepea to leave that locality within five days and return to their homes, and to take the necessary action to ensure that the centres of Mau disaffection in those districts are broken up. In effecting these objects, the Government and the Administrator will use the minimum of force.

The Prime Minister further stated that H.M.S. Dunedin had left Auckland for Samoa.

AN OFFICIAL CONTRADICTION WELLINGTON, Jan. 9. • A description of the riot in Samoa by Mr Kronfeld, a barrister, was published in Sydney and contains two statements which are officially contradicted. . One is that the police who sought to make arrests wej-e not armed, hut carried batons. The Government s information on this point is that, the arresting police were not armed eithei with batons or with revolvers. It was not until the resistance of the Man that a supporting party of police <?ame to the rescue, armed with revolvers.

It was also stated in the article that after reinforcements of police i.'rived, a constable pursued a native, whereupon a scuffle ensued and two fhets were lived, the second one miugii.g down a native. The Administrator’s reports'indicate there was no shooting before .he lives of the police were in imminent caliper. The latest official advices from Samoa indicate that the inquest on the death of Constable Abraham is now proceeding.