Pacific

All Calm in Central Pacific What USA is Doing in Samoa

By Marc T. Greene

Auckland, Sept. 15.

IHAVE lately returned from a short trip through the Islands: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Niue. And a delightful experience it is, especially on so pleasant and well-served a craft as the Union Company’s island steamer.

But just now it is a good deal more than that kind of experience. It gives one a most interesting close-up on how the Islands and their folk are getting along in these uncertain days, how they are “reacting”—as the Americans would say—to the war, and what they think of the future prospects of the South Seas.

The thing that struck me at the start was the tranquility everywhere, the ab sence of apprehension, the serene con fidence and among Britishers the unshakable assurance that ultimate vic tory in the war was only a matter of time—and, of course, probable further sacrifice In Fiji there are New Zealand soldiers, and the money they spend enhances the prosperity of an already very prosperous Crown Colony. Yet there is little if any advance in living costs there. Also, much may be had that is now unattainable in New Zealand. Such, for example, as English-made cigarettes. That may not seem very important—until you have had a go at those made in New Zealand!

Banno Brothers

EVERYBODY is doing a good business, and the Japanese concern, Banno Brothers, is carrying on, even though credit and assets are frozen.

In this connection, the day I was in Nukualofa a notice decreeing the same thing in respect of the Banno Brothers branch there was posted. I visited the Jap. shop, and its management received me very politely. One of them took me on a long drive around the island, where they have had many branch shops, but all now Closed. I asked what they would do in the face of the freezing decree.

“Cannot tell.” my Japanese acquain tance said. “Can only wait, see what happen. Not much business, anyway. No money in Tonga. Besides that, cannot get goods from Japan any more.”

It is but too true. Things are indeed bad in Tonga, because of the state of the copra market. However, these pro ductive islands will always furnish the fundamental native needs. And if Tonga, or all the rest of the South Seas for that matter, can no longer support any body but the natives, will somebody be so good as to give me a convincing: reason why the white man—who has worked un speakable havoc in every last isle and atoll in the Pacific —has any claim to be supported by these islands?

Tranquil Samoa

HOWEVER, in Samoa the economic condition is better than it used to be a»d the Mandate is now about paying expenses. There is complete tran quility there now, and a good deal of the credit for that goes to Acting Adminis trator Alfred C. Turnbull, whose kindli ness toward and interest in the natives have got him closer to them than any of his predecessors came anywhere to being.

And it is not only absurd, but alto gether iniquitous, that he should remain there in an “acting” capacity, without the emolument or—what is more im portant to him —the assurance of the retirement allowance that goes with a job he has been holding down for six

years with more success than anybody who preceded him. The whole position is a tribute to the niggardliness of the present New Zealand Government.

Samoa is, therefore, a more delightful place than ever. But the fact that a couple of thousand Samoans and forty or fifty Europeans are new working on the American naval-base over at Pago Pago, and making more money than they ever dreamed of making before, is going to create a serious economic problem in both parts of the Group when this work is completed. None of these natives—who are making 8/- a day now—is going to take kindly to returning to work on

plantations or highways at a quarter of that wage.

Moreover, the United States has taken over much of the native land at Pago Pago, remunerating the owners in the generous figure of $BOO an acre, and when these people no longer have work on the base, likewise no more quarters pro vided for them to live in, where are they going and what is to become of them?

Samoa And America

QUITE a number of people in Apia are hinting that the answer to that one is to turn Western Samoa over to America, perhaps by a lease under the

famous Lease-and-Lend Act. Then the matter of defence in case of need, as well as all economic problems would be taken care of, and nothing in any way required would have to be withheld for financial reasons.

The Mau still exists, and has its meet ings at Vaimoso. Also, there are occa sional Fono of Faipule, as usual. But all that happens is the long-winded talk so dear to Samoans. Famuina, now “Mataafa”, is a sergeant of native police and a “good boy”. He is the same out standing native leader that he always was, and probably had he been main tained in uninterfered-with leadership of his race, as ought to have been, and not become the tool of others, there never would have been any trouble in Samoa.

The natives of this group are somewhat truculent, as everybody knows, but they can be handled and kept content and peaceable if a little commonsense and justice is used in the attempt. Turnbull has shown that, and it is the reason for the success of his administration. He is accused by some people of “following the path of least resistance”—though I didn ! t hear anybody define that path with any conviction—but the main thing is that he has kept tranquility in Samoa, which is sufficiently to his credit.

After leaving these still happy Islands, where so little sign of what is forward in the rest of the world is apparent, one certainly returns to that world with ex ceeding reluctance. The South Seas are a mighty good place to be living in just now—most of them, anyway.