PACIFIC PROBLEM

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1919, Page 5

PACIFIC PROBLEM

, NEW ZEALAND'S CASE. • PRESENTED BY MR. MASSEY. . VIRILITY AND ENTERPRISE'OF,. : NEW ZEALAND. ? MUST NOT BE HAMEEREu. BY GERMAN OUTPOSTS. Received Jan. 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Jan. 28:" Tho position with regard to New Zealand's representation has been satisfactorily adjusted. The matter was considered on Thursday *at an important meeting of the British delegation, which ia practically the Imperial War Cabinet, Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward attending as members. Now Zealand's position was fully explained, with the result that Sir Joseph Ward was appointed a member of the British delegation on, every possible occasion. Thus both Ministers will attendtmeotings of the Allied : Congress as from Saturday. They will] also attend all meetings of" the British' ■delegation at which-all" matters affecting .the- Empire's interests will be considered sfor submission to the main conference.

The organisation and procedure of the > conference represent coloasal machinery •tfor dealing with the, unprecedented-prob-lemK. There is, firstly, the great Allied' conference, at which duly-accredited representatives of the Allied nations attend. The conference' meantime will probably meet on Saturdays for decisive i Then there is the deliberative council, comprising President Wilson and the Prime and Foreign Ministers Of the five Great Powers. This council meets almost daily privately, and is responsible for the preparation of business preliminary to submission to the conference on Thursday. There is the British delegation of the Imperial War Cabinet, frequently meeting to consider matters vitally concerning the Empire's interests. Finally there are numerous select com..missions, consisting of representatives to consider and report on technical subjects. Many initial dilliculties have been overcome.

The main subject for consideration before the council of Great Powers is the disposal of the Gorman colonies, and the claim of the respective British dominions. Tiie principal issue turns upon the system of future control, especially whether the control is to be internationalised,under the League of Nations, with one nation acting us mandatory.

There has been keen dissatisfaction over the fact that only one delegate from each dominion is allowed to present his case. This is generally surprising since the ministerial delegates in most cases were jointly cuiioerii'-d in the enterprise of capturing the German colonies. It is understood that the delegates have submitted a strong case. Mr. Jlassey presented the case for New Zealand in respect of Samoa, and emphasised, firstly, the virility and enterprise of New Zealand, which was destined, he believed, to be as useful to humanity in the.Southern Hemisphere as the United Kingdom had been to humanity in the Northern Hemisphere. He recounted Samoa's unhappy history since• the seventies, and the unsatisfactory results of the triple protectorate. Germany had been allowed to establish great trading stations all over the Pacific; also energetic financial and commercial companies, besides a strong naval squadron and powerful wireless station. This was the position facing New Zealand when the war broke out. He contrasted the treatment of the Samoans with the treatment of the New Zealand natives, who had been treated equally with other citizens. The Maoris were merging into the European population. New Zealand, immediately on the declaration of war, responded to the request to send a military expedition to Samoa, whose harbors offered shelter to raiders on New Zealand commerce. Samoa, in fact, was the headquarters of the German fleet in the Pacific. Two thousand New Zealanders within ten days of the outbreak of war accepted the great risk, and with the aid of an Australian dreadnought- and a French cruiser secured the surrender of German Samoa, and since hud successfully maintained the occupation acceptably to the native population of thirtyfive thousand.

The Premier also explained that New Zealand's menace from the Gorman squadron in the Pacific, and cited the Coronel battle, in which the British cruisers were outranged. It was only the presence of the Australia that prevented German bombardment of New Zealand coastal towns, and the extensive destruction of New Zealand shipping, especially conveying foodstuffs to Britain. Nevertheless the Germans got raiders into the Pacific, which sank ships and laid many mines. New Zealand was endeavoring, not unsuccessfully, to build up a British nation in the Pacific, and did not want to be again confronted with a menace similar to that of the past. Joint control, always uiul everywhere, had been an ignouiinoue failure. What thp nat ive relied on re juiied and wanted was the opportunity to develop in the security of a generous and practical control, such as that which had inspired spontaneous loyally and substantial sacrifices of the Maoris and South Sea Islanders, who had fought equally nobly with the Allied armies, and acquitted themselves like men. New Zealand's administration of Samoa had not been a war experiment, but simply an extension of the settled and successful policy as regards the treatment of the native race, fie strongly urged, for the sake of all peoples in the South Pacific, that Samoa remain under British control.