O. F. Nelson, Of Samoa.

His Extraordinary Rise and Remarkable Character

From Our Own Correspondent.

THE most remarkable trial ever held in a Samoan Court—the case against O.

F. Nelson on a charge of sedition—is over now and has ended with the conviction of the accused, a prison sentence of eight months and exile from Samoa for 10 Nelson has been sent away to New Zealand, though he was later granted bail until the hearing of his appeal before the Supreme Court of New Zealand at Wellington. It was intended to carry the case, if the decision of the Supreme Court should confirm the Apia decision, right to the Privy Council in London, the highest judicial authority of the British Empire.

Who is this man, who has managed to be in the limelight of Samoan politics for the last eight years, who has obtained such a remarkable influence over the Samoan natives and whose stubborn and practically single-handed struggle against the New Zealand Administration of the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa, has caused the latter such a lot of trouble and expense? From the beginning of the "Mau" Movement, he has been the driving power behind the natives, supplying the spiritual weapons and a large portion at least of the necessary funds to continue the fight.

Nelson was born in Samoa 56 years ago, the son of a Swedish mariner and a Samoan woman of a chiefly family, of the Savaii village of Safune. He was educated at the Marist Brothers School at Apia,

where most of the local-born boys re ceived their education. He was a remark ably intelligent scholar and, after leaving school, he entered the service of the Ger man D.H. & P.G., as office boy and appren tice. His father, having settled in Samoa as one of the numerous traders for the German firm, later started trading on his own account, and young Olaf entered his father’s firm, of which he became the head several years before the war, after his father’s death. He married Miss R. Moors, daughter of that veteran trader, pioneer and friend of R. L. Stevenson, who played such a prominent part in Samoan politics and literature.

After he left school, .O. F. Nelson pro ceeded to educate himself by self-study, helped by remarkable mental gifts and a wonderful memory.

Though he was a shrewd business man, having benefited by his apprenticeship with the German firm, and though he did a fair enough business, he was unable to extend his operations much, owing to the power and old-established reputation of the D.H.P.G., which company held what amounted to a monopoly in Samoa. His opportunity, however, came with the out break of war. Samoa was occupied by New Zealand troops.

Under the Military Occupation, the Ger man firm was liquidated and prohibited from exporting and importing, and Nelson saw, like many others, his opportunity. He captured a large share of the business.

Copra, needed badly for war purposes, reached a price level never dreamed of formerly, and the firm of O. F. Nelson and Son, as it was then styled, reaped enor mous profits. It occupied first place in the trading community of Samoa. In later years, when the Mau, under Nelson’s leadership, had started its struggle against the Administration, a high official of the latter once stated, referring to Nelson: “New Zealand has made him and New Zealand will break him.”

Nelson was not a figure of importance under the German Government; he was simply one of a number of well educated and intelligent local-born boys, and did not interest himself socially or politically. A hobby of his was Samoan history, folklore and family history; and, as proof of a mar vellous and extraordinary memory, he could in congenial society enumerate end less generations of Samoan ancestors by name; give genealogical items and details, never related in books; and visibly enjoy delving into Samoan stories.

Shortly after the war, Nelson took over the business of his father-in-law, H. J.

Moors, and amalgamated that trading concern with his own firm. At that time, the firm was at the peak of prosperity with over 40 trading stations in the group, and offices in Auckland and Sydney.

Nelson was now an outstanding person ality on the Apia beach; and, knowing his thorough acquaintance with all things Samoan, several of the New Zealand Ad ministrators, Colonel Logan, Colonel Tate, and later, General Richardson, sought his advice occasionally and were on a friendly footing with him. He became a leading member of the Legislative Council.

It is not known when the idea to become political leader of the Samoans first en tered his head. His great success as a business man perhaps caused him to look for laurels in other fields. In the terrible

influenza epidemic of 1918/19, which rav aged Samoa and cost thousands of lives, Nelson lost his mother, his only son, and his only brother, with several other rela tives. It was rumoured that when Nelson went to Europe, England and the Con tinent after the war, and was travelling about in the style of a wealthy man, that he was snubbed in England on several occasions on account of his colour, and that he returned with very bitter feelings against the white race. Though his stand ing with the Administration was excellent at the time and, after he had become a naturalized Britisher, it was whispered that a knighthood was within his reach, Nelson chose the other way, and went into opposition. In October, 1926, the Mau Movement was started, of which he has been the leading and most active figure ever since.

He now is fanatically devoted to the Mau cause. His critics say that self ag grandisement and vanity play an import ant part in his mental outlook. This is indicated by some of the statements he made in letters and documents found by the police in his possession.

Though his trial was a terrific strain on him, he triumphantly believed that he had succeeded in giving publicity to all his numerous grudges and complaints, during the hearing, and that, for the first time, he had been able to give a complete story of the Mau Movement to the world.

We must give Nelson credit for sin cerity of purpose, and a true and heartfelt love of his native country—sentiments which, indeed, he has proved not by words and empty phrases, but by personal sacri fice and suffering. But the methods he used were not always fair and proper; though he asserted they were, and blamed his associates for any lapses, maintaining at the same time that he was never given a fair deal by the Administration.

Several times, it is said, when a settle ment of the trouble was within reach. Nel son was approached; and practically all the various and far-reaching demands of the Mau would have been granted by a weary Administration. But Nelson refused to be tempted by personal advantage, and insisted on points which the Government was unable to concede.

Perhaps international politics have con tributed, in a certain degree, to strengthen his determination and stubbornness. Pic tures of Mussolini, de Valera, and Hitler, successful dictators and leaders of their peoples, may have inflamed his imagina tion. One of his last orders before the famous raid on his residence was to intro duce the Fascist Salute for the Mau ad herents! Regarding the argument that a man of mixed blood could not be considered a leader of the native Samoans, Mr. Nelson pointed out in his “Guardian” that Hitler’s Austrian birth, de Valera’s Spanish mother and Napoleon’s Corsican associations did not debar them from leadership!

What was Nelson’s aim and the final object of his ambition? Some of the Sa moan Mau witnesses bluntly stated that the Mau wanted the substitution of a

purely local and native Government for the present New Zealand Administration.

Others, going much further, wanted the complete elimination of the white man from Samoan soil.

It is truly astonishing, as Chief Judge Luxford very properly remarked in his final address in court to Nelson, when pro nouncing sentence on him, that a man endowed with his outstanding mental and spiritual capability, who would have been prominent in any country of the world, should have wasted the best years of his life on schemes and conspiracies, which a man of his intelligence should have re cognized as impossible of fulfilment.