Swedish Writer’S

Visit To Samoa.

Praise for the Germans.

WIDE publicity has been given to articles by a famous Swedish writer, Ludwig Nordstrom, who re cently spent some months in the South Seas. He gave particular attention to Western Samoa, and he appears not to have liked the conditions he found there.

It should perhaps be noted that Mr.

Nordstrom is half English, by birth, and that, during the war, he fought on the side of the Allies, against Germany. He refers to “massacres” among the native Samoans; and declares that further sac rifices of life were prevented only by the “timely, opportune pacification of the Samoans by alert and intelligent high chiefs.”

The first fact that impressed Mr.

Nordstrom was, that “everything that is good, useful, and practical in Samoa owes its origin to the Germans.” The next was that all progress had come to a standstill since the Germans’ forced departure from the islands.

Mr. Nordstrom’s notes contain the fol lowing observations: A Scandinavian, who already before the war was shipping copra for a firm in Hamburg and who is still actively en gaged in the South Seas, said to him: "The Germans were very good. They have left a good name in the Pacific.

They established order and the natives acquired money. When the Germans re turn they will be received with open arms.”

An Englishman living in Samoa said: “There is a vast difference between the present and the German time. At the time of the Germans, everything here was in perfect condition and order; busi ness flourished, the natives earned money and made rapid progress. The planting of the coconut-trees was done systematically. All the roads that exist now were then built; proper steel bridges were built across rivers; the roads were asphalted. Apia was put into splendid condition. In a word, it may be said, that everything good in Samoa comes from the Germans.”

Mr. Nordstrom put the question: “Has it been the Germans who have helped the natives in the formulation of their regulations regarding their homes? I mean the border of stones round the houses, the laying out of gardens, the arrangements of flowers, etc.?” “Yes,” was the reply.

He wondered whether the discontent of the Samoan people is to be based on the diffence between the German and the New Zealand rule. Instead of a direct answer, the Englishman pointed to coconut plantation: “You see weeds around all these palms. All the German

time, there was a lawn here; as far as one could see, nothing but trunks and trunks. Not a single coconut that fell from a tree was left unnoticed. There was system then and order. See, how everything has since then deteriorated.”

When the German were obliged to leave there was £122,000 in the coffers of the people. In 1929 there was a £312,000 debt to the N.Z. Government. The Ger mans had the tact to leave the customs and the self-government of the natives untouched. The new Government abro gated the dignity of the high chiefs and put in its place a native representation, the members of which are nominated by the Governor of Apia.

Grievances have been addressed to the English Government, to the King of England, to the Prince of Wales, to the League of Nations, without success.