SAMOAN & COOK ISLANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 March 1941, Page 3

SAMOAN & COOK ISLANDS

VOLUNTEERS TO BE ACCEPTED. EXCLUSION OF HALF-CASTES BRINGS PROTEST. Volunteers from Samoa and the Cook Islands are to serve with the New Zealand Forces overseas. It has recently been announced that the War Cabinet has approved of the acceptance, until March 31 next, of voluntary -enlistments from these territories, the recruits to be (a) full-blooded whites and up to. but not including persons of half Polynesian blood; (b) single men and married men with not more than two children: and (c) men who have attained the ae of 21 years, but have not attained the age of 41 years. The publication of the conditions of enlistment in Samoa immediately brought forth recruits and also a storm of protest from men of half Polynesian blood against their not being allowed to serve, writes the Apia correspondent of the United Press Association. These men have forwarded a petition to the Prime Minister asking that the Government should reconsider its decision in regard to the status of those acceptable for service overseas by permitting those both of British descent or of British status, irrespective of the degree of Polynesian blood, to enlist to serve “the country to which they bear allegiance and to which, world over, you will find none more loyal." It is pointed out that since the outbreak of war almost all of the class represented by the petitioners have volunteered for service and have diligently and regularly drilled with local defence organisations; that many of them have left Samoa to enlist and in some instances are already serving overseas, that many of the signatories served the Crown in the last war; and that the enlistment of full-blooded Maoris is accepted in New Zealand and Tongans of full blood are accepted in His Majesty’s armed forces. The petition carried about 60 signatures. and was supported by about 40 full blood Europeans who wrote to the Prime Minister declaring: “We feel that by reason not only of their British blood, but also of their never changing loyalty to the British flag while living in this Territory both under British rule and under flags of foreign powers, they are entitled to show in a practical manner by services overseas that they are worthy of the stock from which they have sprung.”