The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1919. A SECRET MILITARY FORCE

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3354, 5 December 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1919. A SECRET MILITARY FORCE

With which iis incorporated "The Taihape Post and Waimarino Newa. ''

It lias been common rumour tor the past week or two, in at least two cities, that the Government was preparing a large. military force to send to Samoa. There were so many startling versions of this rumour that really nothing was tangible beyond the persistent statement that certain men with their families were preparing to leave with th e expedition. Efforts were made to get official information, but the Defence Department was not inclined to say anything 'about it. The rumour has now, however, taken some definite form, and it is said that this expeditionary force is to "consist of a company of eighty men, who are to leave next Thursday, with their wives and families, for Samo'a, the pay 'per man is to be 16/ a day. The story, for all we can know at present, may be nothing more than a canard, but it is certainly the right of the people that this rumour should Tse contradicted, if it is false. What everybody else is talking about the Defence Department cannot very well say it has heard or knows nothing about. The details are so complete that they amount to justification for believing the whole story is true, and in all probability it is true in 'all main respects. The generally heard question is, "Why send a military force to Samoa, and what is it going to fight when/it gets there? Mr Massoy and Sir James Allen have assured Parliament that the few indentured Chincs e Coolies are in Samoa by their own desire, thcrcfo v e military coercion is not needed to keep them at work; the Samoan natives are peaceful citizens, therefore no disturbance of the peace is anticipated from them. Then there is only the British population to consider, and from private reports their chief desire is to get on with their business of ban&na, pineapple and copra-growing. There is one disturbing element they have encountered, and that is a newlyfound despotic Government; their complaint is that Sir James Allen, the new military king of Samoa, is trying to rule them, body and soul. They say they tare being deprived, by the present New Zealand Government of the ordinary right s of British citizenship; that they are being coerced into that which every other Britisher in the Empire has a right to decide for himself; they tell u s that Sir James Allen has decreed that, without consulting their constitutional rights, all 'alcoholic, beverages shall be swept out of this new found dependency of New Zealand. We hope this is all a mistake, all misapprehension, an unnecessary fear, despite the overwhelming chorus from Samoa to the contrary. The lawful, constitutional, hereditary rights of a Britisher a,r e something he folds so dear that he is at any moment ready

to spill Tiis blood in their inviolate maintenance. It seems that British eitizen s of Samoa 'are not to have the same rights as other British people in deciding for themselves whether they will have alcoholic drink or ftotherwise, it i s to be forced upon them by one they term a military martinet. These British eitizens of Samoa complain that an endeavour is being made to treat them as irresponsible children, and they resent it. Here is the first at. tempt to arbitrarily, by military force, take from British citizens the ordinary hereditary .rights of their citizenship; will the people of New Zealand permit anything of the kind? Members of Cabinet, Parliament, and candidates for Parliament are almost with one voice saying that the Liquor Question has been handed to the people for them to decide, and yet there is this persistent rumour that 'an Expeditionary Force of eighty men is being despatched to Samoa to force them to abide by whatever, not by what they themselveg may by majority vot e decide, but just what the Minister for Defence may think fit to force upon them with the aid of a hugely expensive, fully caparisoned military force. It cannot be denied "that any one British citizen in the Empire has precisely similar rights to even those of the Minister himself, lander British law,, and we have no hesitation in saying that the person who, by force, tries to deprive % subject of this right is breaking the spirit of the l'aw, and is acting contrary to the spirit of the British constitution. The subject has a constitutional right to the' protection of the law, and what is going to be done about this determination to coerce Britons in Samoa contrary to their desires, land contrary to constitutional law? Tf we permit the would be military ruler to take by military force the rights of full citizenship from Britons in Samoa, he will very soon set about making a baloon of the constitution Britons have given their lives to maintain, to be pricked by him 'at his will or pleasure. It is not now a question whether we individually think the uso of liquor baneful or a necessity to present-day life, it is whether British citizens of unimpeachable character in Samoa shall be robbed by force of their inalienable right as B'ritons, in a British dependency, to an equality befor,-. and under all British laws. It would be a fatal blunder to permit the slightest interference with inherent legal rights, and if it is allowed in the

cas P of Samoa the barrier so long upheld by the life-blood of thousands will be down, and the idea of democratic government i§ sacrificed. It is ridiculous to talk democracy in one breath, and order a military force with the next, to take from. British subjects their most sacred rights. This rumour may not be true, but as the Defence Department will not speak, the people are not bound to refrain from expressing their opinions on this subject till the military force of eight}- men, with their wives and families are seen embarking for the"scene of their detestable mission. Britons'in Samoa, it is presumed, are to have prohibition forced upon them by Sir James Allen, and if they resent, as they have an inalienable right to do, this unlawful military arbitrament, they are to be shot down by ft military force sent, and paid, for th G purpose by a New Zealand Government. We hope there is some mistak e about this military force, its aims and objects, and it is being discussed and commented upon now whil c the people have an opportunity of considering what the Government is said to be doing. Secrecy by Government of this character is a silly blunder, as it may only lead to much unnecessary apprehension, but, as before stated, people are justiefid in taking the opportunity to discuss the subject before it is too late, that would be next Thursday, when this secretly assembled military force would march on. board ship to be transported the scene of their un-British mission. If the Government cannot attain prohibition in the country by lawful means,, we certainly object to having it forced upon any part of it per medium of civil war.