EYE-WITNESSES AT APIA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 877, 22 January 1930, Page 1

EYE-WITNESSES AT APIA

SWORN EVIDENCE TO BE PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BEING PREPARED Sworn affidavits by eye-wit-nesses of the shootings at Apia on “Black Saturday” are to be presented to the public, according to Mr. A. Hail Skelton, who claims these documents will show conclusively the continued inconsistencies of the Administrator's reports wirelessed and cabled to New Zealand. Mr. Skelton stated today that these documents were in course of preparation and would be released shortly. He could not conceive anything more grotesque than the messages hearing on the tragedy sent to New Zealand from official sources, and it served to indicate that the vesting of control of the radio service in the hands of the Administrator or the Administration in Western Samoa constituted a real menace to the sources of public information to which the public and the Press had a right. Discussing censorship of messages relating to the shootings, Mr. Skelton said that he had been informed by Mr. Tarr. editor of the Samoan “Guardian,” that he had submitted a cable containing a fairly accurate account of the tragedy, but |be Administrator refused 1:0 allow it. to be transmitted, claimed it was seditious and refused to return the message, remarking: “You may hear something more about this, Tarr.” Mr. Skelton mentioned that a wellknown American journalist, who appeared on the scene the day after the shootings, had informed him that r he Administrator had taken him up to Vailima and tried to induce him to stay there until he would have to leave. “The Administrator’s report suggests that: Mr. Polley, who forwarded an account of the affray to Mr. H. E. Holland. M.P.. left Samoa in the Tofua with me, inferring that I influenced him.” continued Air. Skelton. He added that he was unaware such a person existed until he met Mr. Polley aboard. At that time Mr. f’olley had already resigned his posiTion as foreman on the Public Works at Apia. An attempt had been made To discredit Mr. Polley’s story by suggesting that the latter hacl 'been living with a Mau native, but Mr. Skelton asserted that Mr. Policy had sworn an affidavit that the native was •iving in European fashion, and was not an adherent of the Mau.” • A summary of the Administrator’s dispatch is published on page 6.)