SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1919, Page 6

SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS.

NEW ZEALAND TO CONTBfiP I SAMOA. London, May 9. Official: The mandate for New Zealand's control of Samoa is as follows: Germany renounces all rights and title over the islands constituting German Samoa. The allied and associated Powers entrust the government of the islands to his Britannic Majesty, to be exercised by the New Zealand Government. who have full legislative, administrative, and judicial power over the islands as an integral part of the territory of New Zealand, and may apply New Zealand laws thereto, subject to such local modifications as circumstances may require. His Britannic Majesty, for the New ZeaTand Government, accepts the mandate upon the footing that trust is imposed and accepted for the wellbeing and development of the peoples of the islands, and to that end undertakes that slave trade and forced labor shall be prohibited, arid traffic in arms and ammunition be controlled in accordance with any general convention which may be entered into by the high contracting parties in this behalf. The sale of spirituous liquors to natives shall be prohibited, and the military training of natives, otherwise than for purposes of internal police and local defence of the islands, shall be prohibited. Furthermore, no military or naval bases shall be established and no fortifications shall be erected in the islands, either by the Government of' New Zealand or by any Power or person.

The value of the property in the islands belonging to the German Government shall be assessed, and shall be (recorded in the inter-Allied repatriation fund and regarded as allocated to the share of the Government of New Zealand. The expenses of administration of the islands, if the revenue obtained from local sources is insufficient, will be defrayed by the Government of New Zealand.

If, at any time, the native inhabitants of the islands express a desire' to he united with New Zealand, and if the Council of the League of Nations considers this desire to he conscious and well-founded and calculated to promote the natives' interests, the allied and associated Powers agree that effect shall be given to it by the Council of the League, and that the islands shall therefrom be incorporated in New Zealand for all purposes, and administration under this convention shall be regarded as at an end, provided that all undertakings set out in article three, including the prohibition against the establishment of military and naval bases or fortifications, shall be maintained and shall continue to operate in tie islands after such incorporation. The inhabitants of the islands shall be entitled to British diplomatic protection when in foreign countries. The Government of New Zealand will make an annual report containing full information with regard to the islands and the measures taken to fulfil the trust, and the extent of the well-being of tlie natives. Copies of this report are to be presented to the League of Aations. "

Nauru an empire mandate. . London, May 9. Official: Much interest has been taken by Australian and New Zealanders in the disposal of the island of Nauru, in the South Pacific, which has been finally dealt with by the Council of Allied lowers m a manner divergent from the other former German colonies, the mandate having been given to the British Empire.

Mr. Massey contended from the outset of the conferences on the subject that as a producing country requiring phosphates New Zealand was vitally interested in the fate of the islands, and suggested that it should be held under a form of mandate which would conserve the interests of both Australia and Now Zealand.

Objection to this was raised by the Australian delegation and the Colonial Office thought the mandate should go to the British Empire, so that all their interests might be considered, and to this Mr. Massey was willusg to consent. Australia again objected, urging that they had taken possession. To this the reply was that possession meant for the Bmpire, and not for any part of it The official notice that Nauru will be placed under mandate to the British Empire may be interpreted to mean Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, with administration under a commisr moner. In view of the fact that there is no more basic slag available in Britain for New Zealand fanners, it is essential that satisfactory arrangements should be made for the supply of phos-