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The TRUTH about SAMOA
The Mandate Repudiated
The Mandate Repudiated.
In spite of the plain meaning of the Covenant, and the annual accounting of the New Zealand Government to the Permanent Mandates Commission, the idea has been deliberately fostered and maintained by Ministers and high officials, both in New Zealand and Samoa, that We. u Samoa is now an annexed part of the Dominion, and that the League of Nations cannot interfere with the administration of the Mandatory, and that, no matter to what extent maladministration and breaches of the Covenant of the League of Nations may occur, the inhabitants of the Mandated Territory have no redress and no right of appeal to the League.
"The subject of extending punishment towards Europeans who cause trouble in Samoa has now been deliberated upon and approved by the Premier of New Zealand. It has been declared by the British Government during the past week they will not receive any complaint coming from any person in Samoa, but all troubles arising in this country of Samoa are proper for settlement by the Governor of Western Samoa and the Government of New Zealand. The Associated Governments of all the world have passed a law, thus:—No complaint of any nature from any country under any Mandate or protection such as Samoa will be able to present any complaints before the League of Nations who will be unable to receive them."
That was a deliberate and wilful distortion of the truth, and failed to impress the Samoans, who had read the Covenant of the League of Nations in their own language, and knew of the relationship of the Mandatory with the League, and also its obligations to the Permanent Mandates Commission. A full copy of this radio from the Rev. Lewis was published in the Samoa "Guardian" of August 11th, and the accuracy of the translation has never been challenged.
General Richardson also issued, officially, to the Faipules in November, 1927, a "Catechism" about the Mandate and the League of Nations. The "questions and answers'* were so worded as to assure the Fono of Faipules that the only connection between Samoa and the League of Nations is the reading of a report once a year by the Permanent Mandates Commission, and that no dissatisfied Samoan can go before the League and appear before the Commission, and also Samoans cannot present a petition to the League and any petition so sent will not be received and considered, but will be sent to the Government of the Mandated Territory.