Samoa Under the Sailing Gods
II
II
At the Fourteenth Session of the Permanent Mandates Commission, in October, the Samoa Report for the year ending March 31, 1928, came up for examination. Sir George Richardson and Sir James Parr again were present as representatives of the Mandatory Power.
"Dr. Kastl said that according to the very full statement made by the Prime Minister at the beginning of the report, there could be no doubt that unrest and disobedience were still paramount in the islands. He thought, therefore, that he would be justified in saying that there was no proper administration. Even a mandated territory should be properly administered. How long did the New Zealand Government propose to maintain its attitude of toleration? He was in favour of toleration as far as possible, but if continued too long it might not be in the interest of a territory and might lead to disadvantages for the population as a whole. From what had been said it might be supposed that the New Zealand Government was paying too much attention to party politics.
"Dr. Kastl would remind the accredited representative that the Mandates Commission was partly responsible for the state of affairs in Samoa. It was not called upon, however, to pay the slightest attention to party movements within the territory of the mandatory Power. The situation in the islands was leading to a very serious impairment of their wealth, and if the New Zealand Government continued in its policy of toleration, the result might be the destruction of the prosperity of the islands. The Mandates Commission had a serious responsibility, because the time might come when it would have to say to the New Zealand Government that it was urgent that it should take stronger measures with regard to the position in Samoa, irrespective of the movements of party politics in New Zealand.
"The Chairman thought that the majority of his colleagues agreed with Dr. Kastl as regards the substance of his statement, if not its form."
Certain members of the Mandates Commission, however, dissociated themselves from this veiled advocacy of a policy of violence.
"Sir James Parr said that the New Zealand Government still considered its policy of patience to be the right one. The Government had full knowledge of the local situation and the Administrator was a capable man. He would emphasize once again that the situation was improving, that taxes were being paid, that there was no disorder, and that the law was obeyed. The Mau police, who had previously paraded in uniform, had been disbanded, and no further attempt had been made to create a rival police to that of the Government. The Mandates Commission must trust the New Zealand Government, acting in co-operation with its new Administrator, for at least another year, and await the result. If the policy of patience failed, the Commission had the promise given by the Prime Minister at the end of his statement in the report that 'the Administration must ultimately fall back upon stronger measures.'"
The Mandates Commission sent a report to the League Council similar to its previous one, and expressed the hope that "when examining the next annual report it would find that the Administration had regained complete control of the situation and that a normal condition of affairs had been re-established."