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INTRODUCTION In a letter dated 24 January, 1947, the New Zealand Government transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, for submission to the Trusteeship Council a petition dated Apia, 18 November, 1946, from representative Samoan leaders of the Territory of Western Samoa. The petition, which was addressed to His Excellency the Administrator of Western Samoa, read as follows : " We, the Fautua, Members of the Legislative Council, Associate Judges, Faipule and District Representatives of all Western Samoa, respectively ask you to submit to the present session of the United Nations Organization through the New Zealand Government, the freely expressed wishes of the Samoan people as declared at a Fono held at Mulinu'u on the 18 November 1946, based on our firm belief in the principles of the Atlantic Charter which have been proclaimed throughout the world and confirmed by the House of Parliament in New Zealand and for which millions of lives have been sacrificed. " The proposed Draft Agreement of the Trusteeship concerning which you sought our views was discussed at length at the said Fono, and while we recognize that this represents an advance upon the Mandate, we feel that an acceptance of it would bring us no nearer our ultimate aim of self-government for which we have earnestly and consistently striven under the Mandate. "We are appreciative of the progress in social services and the sympathetic treatment accorded to us during the past ten years by the Labour Government and would like to express herein our sincere gratitude for the efforts made on behalf of the rights of the small nations by the Right Honourable the Prime Minister before the Council of the United Nations Organization. " On the basis of the sacred rights of self-government as upheld and defended by the British Commonwealth of Nations and, on the principles of the Atlantic Charter, we feel confident that our resolutions, as set out hereunder, will be granted : " (1) We humbly beseech that Samoa be granted self-government. " (2) We earnestly pray that New Zealand will see fit to act as Protector and Adviser to Samoa in the same capacity as England is to Tonga. " (3) We sincerely pray that the unnatural division of the islands of the Samoan group enforced by the Three Powers in the past without the consent of the Samoans be left in abeyance until a meeting can be arranged between Eastern and Western Samoa. Yours very respectfully, [Signatures.] The signatures include the names of the three Fautua (High Chiefs and Advisers), the four Samoan Members of the Legislative Council, one associate judge, and ninety-eight Faipule and district representatives.