WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 30 October 1916, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE DOMINION'S FOREIGN POLICY. WHAT WE HAVE WE HOLD. (Special Correspondent) WELLINGTON, Oct 27. Probably the cable alluding to what Mr. Massey said in his address to the Pilgrims' Club on Wednesday night scarcely represents what the Prime Minister intended to convoy ty liis and ience. "New Zealand is holding German Samoa for the Empire," are the words attributed to him by the author of the message, "but we mean to keep it." "Without straining the meaning of words this might be taken to imply that while New Zealand was content to act as agent for the Imperial authorities in the meantime, its aspirations was to ultimately control the

occupied territory on its own account. But it seems more likely that Mr. Massey used the personal pronoun in the wide Imperial sense, "we, the British Empire"—not in the restricted sense —"We, the people .of New Zealand." Thirty years ago, however, an Annexation Act was actually pissed by the New Zealand Parliament, which provided for the whole of Samoa being taken over by this country. The measure was vetoed by the Imperial Government, which at that time was not taking Colonial statesmen so fully into its confidence as it is doing to-day, and some years later the islands were the subject of a diplomatic deal between Britain and Germany, which the whole Empire is now regret ting. For some reason Germany did not make the good use she might have done to her bargain, and when the war broke out she, as everyone knows, was promptly ousted from what she had been expected to make her stronghold in the Pacific. A PAGE OF HISTORY. Mr. John Limdon, who at that time was an Auckland citizen engaged in a trading venture in Samoa, was chiefly responsible for the attempt at annexation by the New Zealand Government. In 1883 Mr. Lundon came into conflict with the Germans in Samoa, which then was under the triple jurisdiction of Britain, France, and Germany, through the German flag being raised at Apia. The German authorities were carrying things with a high hand and, putting a rope across one of the streets of the town, threatened instant death to anyone who crossed the barrier. Mr. Lundon, i.i broad daylight and in full view of hair the population of the place deliberately cut the rope and walked over the section tabooed by the Germans and nothing happened to him. This incident broke the German mana with the natives, and shortly afterwards the Samoan Parliament, largely influenced by Mr. Lundon, made overtures to the New Zealand Government, and the Annexation Act of 1885 was the result. In 1894 Mr. Seddon, who had become Prime Minister in succession to Mr. B'allance, seriously revived the question of annexation, but again the Imperial authorities discouraged the movement and nothing was done. RECRUITING. Mr. James Allen's appeal for more men is made urgent by the fact that that the 22nd Reinforcements are still considerably over 800 short. Auckland is responsible for 167 of the deficiency, Wellington for 184, Canterbury for 282, and Otago for 236. The districts are now being urged to send the full balance of their quotas into camp by Wednesday next, but it would be too much to expect they will be able to accomplish this in the three clear days remaining at their disposal. The authorities are most disappointed by the decline of recruiting in Canterbury and Otago, where there was a most encouraging revival after the special appeals made by Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Allen three or four months ago; but a Christchurch business man who is in Wellington just now, says the failure to get more men from the southern provinces is largely due to the prevalent uncertainty' as to what the Government is going to do next. There is a good demand for labour of all descriptions, and men who have not yet felt the "call" contend that now conscriptions ensures the filling of the later Reinforcements they are justified in holding on to their jobs till the balloT decides their turn has come. This is, not a very admirable attitude, but it may explain the present situation.