Nazi Activity In Western Samoa

Small Organisation Creates an Embarrassing Situation

WHEN the “Matua” arrived in Apia, Western Samoa, on December 11, it brought to Western Samoa the German Consul-General from New Zea land, Herr Ramm. No one knew quite why Herr Ramm should have considered an official visit to Samoa to be neces sary, just now; but, for all that, he was greeted courteously and cordially. He was the guest of the Administrator, at Vailima, until December 14, when he went on to Pago Pago.

But the Consul-General, almost im mediately, was placed in a position of acute embarrassment.

A German resident of Samoa, Herr Matthes, has developed an admiration for the Hitler-Nazi regime; and he has formed a Nazi group in Apia. There are only a few adherents, and the or ganisation is regarded mostly with amused tolerance by the rest of the population—and especially by the older German residents.

Herr Matthes induced a small num ber of Samoan natives to join a “Ger man Club”, and to ask publicly for a return of Samoa to Germany. The Sa moans mostly were elderly men, who had been employed by the German Ad ministration before 1914, and they have no influence among the natives. The club collected money for Nazi flags and badges.

The arrival of the German Consul- General gave Herr Matthes his big moment. When Herr Ramm stepped onto the Customs wharf, he was greet ed, to his horror, by Herr Matthes, standing stiffly to attention, while ranged behind him, under a fluttering Swastika flag, was a small company of Samoan natives, wearing German em blems.

It was a demonstration very gratifying to any German; but, in the special cir cumstances, very malapropos.

In the background, an interested spectator, was Sir Harry Luke, the

newly-appointed Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, who happened to arrive on that Matua”, on his way back from Tonga to Fiji.

Herr Ramm was formally introduced by Herr Matthes to the Samoan Nazis, and the little ceremony ended.

But, immediately, strong protests against the demonstration were made by both British and Germans. Both com munities are anxious to live in amity, and avoid anything which might stir up racial feeling. The British took the opportunity of pointing out that there really has been too much Nazi pro paganda recently. Natives have been told that Hitler soon will take command of Samoa. A German youth, who can speak only a few words of English, has been brought to Samoa recently to con duct a German school, for the children of Germans and part-Germans.

“We do not wish to be unpleasant”, said one leading Britisher. “But, in the circumstances, we can only assume that those who are not with us are against us. Why that German school? Why does the Consul-General make a 3,000 miles journey to Samoa, if Germany is not interested in Samoa?”

“If the New Zealand Government thought it good enough to deport a good Britisher like Smyth for his sympathies with the native Samoans, surely they ought to deport one or two gentlemen who are trying to introduce Nazi doc trines among the natives”, was another comment.

The German Consul-General, after making himself acquainted with local conditions, took occasion to approach leading British residents and to assure them that objectionable activities among Samoan natives had been com pletely stopped, and that a certain gen tleman had been officially and severely reprimanded.