“CERTAIN MEASURES”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26637, 6 December 1947, Page 7

“CERTAIN MEASURES”

SAMOAN SELF-GOVERNMENT PREPARATIONS FOR GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES Rec. 8 p.m.. LAKE SUCCESS, Dec. 4. Sir Carl Berendsen (New Zealand) told the Trusteeship Council to-day that his Government had gone ahead with its policy for granting s/elf-government to the peoples of Western Samoa because otherwise the objectives on which all were agreed could not be brought into effect for two to three years if the normal procedure was followed. If the Council approved, the United Nations Mission’s report now the General Assembly could not consider it until the 1948 session, and the New Zealand Parliament, which met from late June until early November, could not take action before 1919. Mr Liu Chieh (China) said that the New Zealand Government was justified in anticipating United Nations action and taking legislative steps in general conformity with the mission's recommendations. Mr Liu introduced a draft resolution stating that the Trusteeship Council considered that the people of Western Samoa should be granted “ an increasing measure of self-government,” and for the present the degree of self-government should conform to the mission’s recommendations. Awni Khalidy (Iraq) suggested that the Chinese resolution should be amended to say that the people of Western Samoa should “be accorded self-government ” rather than “ an increasing measure of self-government.” Dr Luis Padilla (Mexico) said the Council should examine the mission's report in more detail before taking up the Chinese resolution. Herr Pierre Ryckmans (Belgium) saw a danger in providing that self-government should be granted “ as soon as possible ” to the people of Western Samoa, who might interpret this as meaning

“ immediately.” Sir Carl Berendsen said he could not accept the wording “as soon as possible,” because it could be interpreted as singling out this one administering authority, which was actually in the forefront on this matter. Mr W. D. Forsyth (Australia) and Sir Alan Burns (Britain) supported Sir Carl Berendsen. Mr Liu Chen then said that he would accept the New Zealand amendment, stating: “The Trusteeship Council resolves that in its view the people of Western Samoa should be accorded at the present time such a measure of self-government as is indicated by the mission’s report, and further expresses the hope that the Western Samoan people will be encouraged and assisted to assume still greater responsibilities in self-govern-ment. leading ultimately and as soon as possible, to full self-government in accordance with the people’s expressed desires, the administering authority's declared policy and . the trusteeship systems objectives.”

After several more textual amendments had been proposed, the Council appointed a sub-committee comprising Belgium, China. Iraq, and Mexico to draft a complete resolution. The Council adjourned until to-morrow.