SAMOA BLOCKADE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1930, Page 6

SAMOA BLOCKADE

LABOUR’S PROTEST.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association

WELLINGTON, Feb. 19. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, in a statement to. the press concerning Commodore Blake’s comments on tlie Samoa policy, states; “1 voice the opinion of every member of the Parliamentary Labour Party when I say that the conduct of Commodore Blake, of the “Dunedin, in putting into print damaging statements in relation to the Government’s policy in Samoa, should no 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 mi£ht well i v left to the Minister of External Affairs, who in this case, is the Prime Minister. Apart from the apparent untruth of his declaration that there is no alternative hut to treat the Samo(iii people roughly, in the militaristic sense, it -follows that such a statement, plus the proposal to have recourse to the means of starvation, can only result in convincing the Samoans that our policy towards them is ono of deliberate brutality which is to be persisted in until they are reduced to submission. His 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 impertinence, which, along with the other indiscretions referred to, will no doubt have -brought him ere this a well-deserved reprimand. In any case, the public will be interested to learn what view the Government takes of this extraordinary breach of discipline.”

STATEMENT BY PREMIER

WELLINGTON, Feb. 19

The Prime Minister (lit. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), announced to-night that the statement in reference to the situation in Western Samoa attributed to Commodore Blake of the HALS. “Dunedin,” was made without the knowledge of the Government, and was apparently an expression of tlie Commodore’s own opinion.