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The TRUTH about SAMOA

"Charge "Against Mr. Smyth

"Charge "Against Mr. Smyth.

The only "charge" against Mr. Smyth was that, among many thousands, he was a member of the Mau.

Apia, 16th December, 1927.

Appeared: Alfred George Smyth.

Mr. Baxter: Mr. Smyth has nothing to add to his statement.

General Richardson: I called you this morning in accordance with the letter which you received yesterday to defend the charge which I have put in it and which I will now read:

"That you are an active member of an organisation called the Mau, or League of Samoa, the purpose of which is to secure self-government for Samoa, and in furtheance of such purpose by unlawful means to frustrate and render ineffective and which is frustrating and rendering ineffective the functioning of the Administration."

I have your statement, but wish to hear anything further which you may have to say on the subject. Have you anything further to say?—No, sir; everything is set out in my reply.

Are you aware that the Native members of the Committee have been and still are circulating instructions to the Natives that Government orders are not to be obeyed, nor taxes to be paid?—I am not aware of that. I do not understand the language.

Has it been reported to you?—No.

When the Minister was here in June he stated to the Committee that he wished them, if I remember righlty, to undo the evil that had already been done. Did you, as. a recognised member of that Committee, take any active steps to undo that evil or to prevent false information being circulated around Apia?—After receipt of the page 42 Minister's letter we met at Lepea. We read the letters out and told them that they must obey the orders of the Government and return to work.

You are aware that the Native Committee remained in Apia, and is here to-day ?——Yes.

Have you taken any steps to cease their activities which are frustrating the efforts of the Government?—We are not supposed to have met them. We did, after the Commission was over, and told them they must return to work.

Have you done anything to disabuse the minds of the Natives regarding any false reports that have been circulated by yourself and Mr. Gurr?—What reports?

General Richardson: I will not specify. You must be aware that statements were made by you in the press that were not true, in New Zealand and Fiji?—I gave no interview to the New Zealand or Fiji press. An interview purporting to have been given by me was wrong.

Do you know of any false reports that have been circulated?—I did not consider that false reports had been circulated. I saw one that was supposed to have come from me, but it was wrong.

Since the Royal Commission it has been revealed to you that the Natives are very sensitive of the question of Finance. It is part of their psychology to be very critical of Government Finance, owing to various experiences in former years under former Governments. It has gone so far as to cause war, to cause violence in this country-After the Royal Commission you realised that your report was a false one. Has anything been done by you to correct that in the minds of the Samoan people?—I cannot say that I have done anything myself. I think I mentioned to one or two Natives who can talk a little English that we had made a mistake in our figures.

The movement has spread all over Samoa, until we have, to-day, one or two districts wholly not functioning. Some districts are wholly Government and others half-and-half. The position is that there are two parties in Samoa. One party organised under the Committee of which you are a member has been spreading false information about finance emanating from your report. It is not a question of one or two Samoans, it is a question of the whole country; and you have done nothing to correct these false statements ?—No, sir.

General Richardson: I will think this matter over very carefully and advise you through Mr. Baxter.

Mr. Slipper: In regard to this propaganda that is alleged to have come from the Central Committee advising the Samoans to disobey the laws, has any of that originated from you or any other member of the Committee?—I do not know anything about tl propaganda.

Do you remember how long it was after the meeting in Lepea that you went to New Zealand?—About a week.

You had no opportunity until you came back and the Commission had been sitting a week ?—Yes.

Your report on Finance was incorrect?—Yes.

The report was handed in to the Administrator about December of last year?—Yes.

It was before the Administrator and the Minister all the time up till August, when you got a reply about it?—Yes.

Had you ever been corrected on your figures before that reply?—No.

Was that report drawn up for the purpose of circulating among the Samoans?—It was for presentation to the Minister when he arrived here.

You have spoken to individual Natives who understand a little English?—Yes.

Did you ever speak to Lago Lago or Faumuina?—I think I spoke to Faumuina.

Are you prepared to do anything in the way of correcting wrong ideas in the Native mind regarding finance?—Yes, as the report is incorrect.

Did you feel that the errors in the report had been thoroughly exposed and corrected at the Commission ?—Yes.

Are you prepared to do anything further?—Yes,

General Richardson: Are you prepared to go and in the presence of the Secretary of Native Affairs address the Native members of the Mau Committee in Apia and page 43 explain and express regret that these errors have been made and which have been the cause of upsetting Samoa ?—Yes, for the good of the country.

Have you attended any meetings of the Mau Committee since you returned?—They gave us a reception on our return, and then after the Commission was over we attended a meeting.

You have not attended any others?—No, I do not think so.

Similar "charges" to those against Mr. Smyth were made a week later against the remaining two elected Legislative Councillors, the Hon. A. Williams and the Hon. G. E. L. Westbrook, and also against Mr. S. H. Meredith. All three were ordered to undo the harm they had done, and apologise in the European papers and the official Native Gazette. This they point-blank refused to do, and demanded that the charges be clearly defined. No further action was taken in these cases, but the ugly threat still remains.