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Title: Samoa at Geneva : misleading the League of Nations : a commentary on the proceedings of the Permanent Mandates Commission at its thirteenth session held at Geneva in June, 1928

Author: Olaf Frederick Nelson

Publication details: The National Printing Company, Limited, June 1928, Auckland

Part of: Tidal Pools: Digitized Texts from Oceania for Samoan and Pacific Studies

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Samoa at Geneva : misleading the League of Nations : a commentary on the proceedings of the Permanent Mandates Commission at its thirteenth session held at Geneva in June, 1928

Samoa's Former Independence

Samoa's Former Independence.

A lot has been said of the "backwardness" of the Samoan people, and that it was a "sacred trust" of humanity imposed on New Zealand to govern Samoa under a Mandate. Samoa was said to be inhabited by a people who are not yet able to stand by themselves, etc., etc.

After two years' deliberating on Samoan Affairs, the Three Great Powers—Britain, America and Germany—signed, on the 14th day of June, 1889, what was called the "Final Act of the Berlin Conference on Samoan Affairs." This was forty years ago, but it will be interesting to note the following extracts from it:—

Article I.—"It is declared that the islands of Samoa are neutral territory in which the citizens and subjects of the three Signatory Powers have equal rights of residence, trade, and personal protection. The Three Powers recognise the independence of the Samoan Government, and the free right of the Natives to elect their Chief or King, and choose their form of government according to their laws and customs. ..."

Article II.—"Considering, further, that the consent of the Samoan Government is requisite to the validity of the stipulations hereinafter contained, the Three Powers mutually agree to request the assent of the Samoan Government to the same, which, when given, shall be certified in writing to each of the three Governments through the medium of their respective Consuls in Samoa."

The final paragraph reads as follows:—

"The assent of Samoa to this General Act shall be attested by a certificate thereof, signed by the King, and executed in triplicate, of which one copy shall be delivered to the Consul of each of the Signatory Powers at Apia for immediate transmission to his Government."