Samoa’s Political Future
pp. 22-23 · Read in the full issue
From Our Own Correspondent.
APIA, April 20.
Mr. C. McKay, secretary of Native Affairs here, who has a thorough know ledge of the Samoan language, does not take a pessimistic view of the future. He thinks the recent reconciliation between the Mau and the Malo (loyalists) is a big step forward.
Although the Administrator’s extraor dinary patience in meeting the Samoan people in a series of conferences during March was without immediate result, it is believed that he has actually instilled a spirit of reconciliation and that they will presently become reconciled to the Ad ministration. There are indications al ready that a very large section of the younger Samoans are more interested in their village life, and in the newly-intro duced game of cricket, than in old-time political troubles.
The Administrator will be back at the end of May. Then, if there is no prospect of a settlement, it is possible that sterner measures may be taken to suppress the Mau altogether.
High Chief Faamuina.
The well-known High Chief Flame Faa muina, President of the Mau. was seated at his typewriter in his well-furnished fale at Lepea model village, when your corre spondent paid him a visit.
The giant Chief, whose splendid physique was much commented upon during his last visit to New Zealand, bade me a smiling
and jovial welcome. He showed me some books with personal dedications, pre sented to him by the famous author and artist, Hendrik van Loon, who passed through Samoa in February by the “Fran conia,” and who spent a few hours with the Samoan leader.
Regarding the political situation, how ever, Faamuina had little to say. Though he is the elected leader of the Mau, he has to do what the Council of Chiefs instruct him, and they insist, before any further discussions regarding the Samoan demands are started, that Nelson should be brought back to Samoa. Of course, they now want to wait for the result of Nelson’s appeal, in Wellington.
Faamuina, who talks English fluently, though with an accent, is moderate in his views and he told me that he very often has to suppress and object to foolhardy and impossible proposals of hotheads in the Movement, who want to risk an open clash with the Administration.
There are hopeful signs of the moderates in the Mau Movement gaining slowly but surely the ascendancy.