A—4

I. INTRODUCTORY Western Samoa is comprised of two large islands, Upolu and Savai'i, and the small islands of Manono, Apolima, Fanuatapu, NamiVa, Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, and N-11'usafe'e. The Territory lies between the 13th and 15th degrees of south latitude and the 171 st and 173rd degrees of west longitude. Upolu and Sa vai'i are 45 miles and 46 miles long respectvely, and are separated by Apolima strålt, 10f miles wide, in which are Manono and Apolima islets; the remainder of the islets are within or near the fringing reef surrounding Upolu and, are not inhabited. The islands of the group have a total area of 1,133 square miles and are mountainous in charaeter, rising to elevations of 6,094 ft. in SavaTi and 3,608 ft. in Upolu. The large majority of the Samoans live in coastal villages, there being only 11 inland villages out of the total of 192 in the whole Territory. The climate is mild and equable, the average temperatures during the last forty-four years showing a mean daily maximum of 84-7 degrees Fahrenheit, and a mean daily minimum of 73-8 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average annual rainfall for a period of fifty-four years is 112-39 in. The Samoan population, ascertained by a eensus on the 25th September, 1945, was 62,422, and the non-Samoan population 5,775; total 68,197. 11. STATUS OF THE TERRITORY The Territory is administered pursuant to a mandate conferred upon His Britannic Majesty, to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand, and eonfirmed, by the Council of the League of Nations on the 17th Deeember, 1920. In Deeember, 1945, the Prime Minister announced that New Zealand would be agreeable to the application to the Territory of the trusteeship system established by the Charter of the United Nations. A decision to this effect was eommunicated to the General Assembly of the United Nations in January, 1946, and similarlv to the final meeting of the Assembly of the League of Nations in April, 1946. III: STATUS OF THE POPULATION The Native people of Western Samoa are described in documents of travel as " British-protected persons, Natives of the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa." The provisions of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Act, 1928, allow individual inhabitants of the Territory voluntarily to obtain British naturalization. Certificates of naturalization have been granted to 43 Native Samoans and to 65 Europeans, including children in both cases. The law of the Territory provides generally that all persons of onequarter or more non-Polynesian blood have the racial status of Europeans, but changes may be made voluntarily by registration. By the Samoa Registration of Europeans Regulations 1920, any person of less than full Samoan blood may be granted the status of a European; and the Samoan Status Ordinance 1934 makes provision whereby a person of European status and of not less than half Samoan blood may be granted Samoan status. During the year under review 6 persons took advantage of the regulations to register as Europeans, and 3 applied, for Samoan status, making a total of 532 partSamoans of Samoan status who have been registered as Europeans, and 24 part-Samoans of European status who have become Samoans, in terms of these enactments.

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