Samoa.

Important Conversations Reported.

INFORMATION was received privately in Sydney in July that there is at last a real probability of a settlement being effected in Western Samoa be tween the New Zealand authorities and the Mau.

Hon. O. F. Nelson returned to Samoa recently after a long period of banish ment, and is reported to have made con ciliatory speeches and gestures; the Ad ministration, having begun to arrest and prosecute various tribal chiefs of the Mau for holding unauthorised meetings,, suddenly discontinued that policy and the Administrator (General Hart) had cordial communication with some of the Mau people; and Mr. Paul Verschaffelt (Public Service Commissioner) and Mr.

C. A. Berendsen (Secretary for External Affairs) left Wellington suddenly and quietly in June on an unexpected visit to Samoa.

It is believed that all these circum stances are connected, and that conver sations are proceeding with a view to settlement of long outstanding differ ences.

The following reached us just as we were goingr to press :

Settlement Prospects Remote.

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, July 6.

The Mau is more active again. There; has been a large meeting in and money has been collected for an undisclosed purpose.

Prospects for a settlement seem as re mote as ever. In fact, some of the de mands of the Mau are absolutely im possible of fulfilment.