Samoan Mau

Inclined To Demand Full Pardon For Taisi

From Our Own Correspondent.

APIA, July 3.

THE decision in the Nelson appeal case has at last been received here, and has not caused any surprise or excite ment amongst residents. Few, if any, Europeans here have believed that the appeal would be successful, but the con siderable delay in pronouncing the deci sion, which has been explained by the complexity of the legal questions in volved in the case, has been causing a lot of comment.

For a considerable time rumours were afloat amongst the Samoan natives that the appeal would succeed and that Nel son would be allowed to return to Samoa as a free man. The decision, however, un deceived the Mau adherents.

A large faction is now in favour of appealing to the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) and asking for a pardon for Nelson. If this were granted the Mau would be willing to meet the Administra tor in a conference and discuss an at tempt to come to a definite settlement regarding all outstanding differences.

This suggestion of the moderates, how ever, is strongly opposed by the “die hards” of the Mau Movement, who seem to be in the majority. At the time of writing, no decision has been reached.