The Mau Cases In Samoa

APIA, January 25, THE trial of Mr. O. F. Nelson, leader of the Samoan Mau, on charges of sedition was interrupted in an unexpected manner in mid-January.

Mr. Nelson during his cross-examina tion of Police Inspector Braisby, which continued for nine days, broke down in court on January 11. He had been a very sick man even before his arrest.

The case was adjourned until January 15, to give Mr. Nelson a chance to re cover; but during that week-end Judge Luxford, who has been hearing the case, had the misfortune to cut his foot severely on green coral, and was taken to Apia hospital, suffering from blood poisoning.

At the time of writing, Judge Luxford is still in hospital, under treatment, and the case has been further postponed.

Poisoning from green coral is a very dan gerous thing, and the most skilled atten tion has been made available for the Judge.

The hearing was adjourned until Janu ary 22, and then to January 29.

Up to the time of the adjournment on January 11, the proceedings before the court had been very lengthy; and it is believed that, even if a conviction is re corded, there will be an appeal to the Supreme Court in New Zealand, and pos sibly to the Privy Council. A large num ber of witnesses have still to be examined.

The lengthy addresses of the prosecut ing attorney, Mr. McCarthy, in outlining the history of the Mau movement, and of the Chief of Police, Mr. Braisby, reading a large quantity of documentary evidence seized at the various raids on Mr, Nelson’s residence and other places, brought very little of a sensational character. The lengthy statements filled many pages of the local paper.

Some characteristic extracts of letters and documents, written by Mr. Nelson and seized by the police, are of interest from a psychological point of view.

In one document a passage talks of the Mau “doing silent work, and getting the running of the country into our own hands”; and “one day the Government would wake up and find the Mau running the country.”

A Mau “Budget” and Estimates, written by Nelson himself, and showing a balance of £2200, gives details of revenue and expenditure, a tax on 4000 matais (house holders) at 6/- and 8000 tauleleas (com moners) at 3/ on the one side; and ex penditure on the “Guardian” (the Mau newspaper in Auckland) of £500, maintenance of Mau capital (Vaimoso) of £344, and remunerations of Mau officials amounting to over £1100.

The Constitution of the Mau, combining features of the present Administration and old Sampan tribal customs, is a lengthy document, dealing with the or ganisation of central and village adminis tration, down to minute details. The “Guardian” newspaper and its Samoan supplement is not overlooked; it should be read out by those who receive it to all people of the village, even to the school children.

In a letter written by Nelson he states that papalgis (white people) should be in vited to Mau functions. They would sup posedly prefer not to attend but will find it hard to refuse the Samoans, because of commercial and other reasons, but they are to be invited so as to find out which side they are on. It is now a matter of “You must be with us or against us.”

New Zealand will wake up one day to find that by peaceful penetration of the

Mau, and their own incompetency to govern a proud and dignified people, the Samoans will have wrested the last ves tige of control of the Samoans from the Mandatory Government.”

Of one of his own speeches at Vaimoso taalolo, Mr. Nelson says that “I am pleased that the boys like my speech at Vaimoso and, reading the proofs again, I am rather impressed with it myself. . . . As puts it, I should feel honoured to be worthy of being called New Zealand’s greatest foe, and may become the bogey man to frighten N.Z. children when they are naughty.”

It appears that a full three thousand pounds of actual cash belonging to Nelson has been used on the newspaper (the ‘‘N.Z. Samoa Guardian”), The cross-examination of Inspector Braisby by Mr. Nelson himself brought a lot of quite irrelevant questions. The courthouse during the first nine days of the trial was every day surrounded by a large crowd of Mau adherents, men and

women, who also crowded the court room to overflowing. Mr. Nelson’s statements and questions were translated into Samoan and, at times, the Samoans clapped their hands.

The Court, on the other hand, apparently was desirous of avoiding any charges that the accused was hampered in any way in the conduct of his case and practically unlimited freedom was granted to Nelson to put a widely divergent range of ques tions.

On the ninth day the prosecuting coun sel pointed out that Mr. Nelson, when arriving at the Court, was greeted by the Samoans assembled there with the Mau salute, which constituted a breach of the bail and should be prohibited. The Court then ruled that in future any act of this kind should constitute a breach of bail and would be dealt with accordingly.

During the cross-examination of In spector Braisby by Mr. Nelson, on the ninth day of the trial, the former stated that after Nelson’s return to Samoa from New Zealand there had been increased interest and activity in Mau affairs.

Monies had been collected and the develop ments amounted, in the opinion of the

Inspector, to rebellion. As proof of his contention, he pointed to the nature of certain documents seized at Nelson’s residence.

A heated interchange of questions and replies then took place.

NELSON: Do you suggest that those activities were organised and prompted by me?

BRAISBY: I believe that you were a party to them.

NELSON: Then I would also have been a party to rebellion?

BRAISBY: If those activities had re sulted in an open rebellion, and you were associated with them, you would have been.

A discussion then took place between Mr. Nelson and Inspector Braisby regard ing the effects of Nelson’s deportation on Mau activities. The dramatic interchange apparently proved too great a strain on Mr. Nelson’s nerves. He was noticeably unwell, and the Court had to be adjourned.

Dr. Dawson was called and stated that the trial had proved too great a strain on defendant’s health and that complete rest for a few days was imperative to restore it.

The Judge then granted counsel’s re quest to adjourn the case until January 15. It was later adjourned to January 29 owing to the illness of Judge Luxford,

Sudden Death Of Mau Secretary

Mata’Uha.

As a considerable shock to the Mau came the sudden demise of the Mau secre tary Mata’uha Kalauna. The deceased suffered from jaundice and his condition became serious, probably owing to some negligence on his part, acting against the advice of Dr. Dawson.

Absurd rumours at once were spread amongst the Samoans—one that the de ceased gentleman had confessed to being a traitor to the Mau, in the service of the Administration, and that he had poisoned himself in consequence.

Previous to his death, it was reported that Mata’uha was to be one of the star witnesses for Mr. Nelson in his trial.

Suppression Of The Mau

Newspaper.

By special announcement, based on the “Samoa Publication Order 1933,” the Ad ministrator has declared the “N.Z. Samoa Guardian” to be a seditious newspaper.

This prevents the receipt in Samoa of the paper, and anyone receiving it is liable to punishment.

It is probable that the prohibition was caused by a violent attack on the High Court of Samoa by the paper in its issue of December 15, 1933.

Mau Does Not Want Europeans.

During the trial of several Samoan chiefs for Mau activities, which was re ported in an earlier issue of the P.I.M. one of the accused, Autagavara, was asked by prosecuting counsel, Mr. McCarthy, what the term “Manua o Samoa" meant.

The reply was that it meant that the Samoans want Samoa for the Samoans, and no Europeans.

Mr. MCCARTHY: Do you mean, there fore, that the Samoans want the Euro peans to leave Samoa and leave the Samoans to run the country?—Yes.

Mr. MCCARTHY: The Mau will be dis satisfied until they get this point?—Yes.

Advice has been received from London that Constable and Co., the publishers, have decided to publish, in 1934, a cheap edition, priced at 7/6, of Mr. Ivan Cham pion’s well-known book, “Across New Guinea, from the Fly to the Sepek.”