Self-Government?

Should Samoans Have Self-Government?

An Emphatic Negative Letter to the Editor

1 EMPHATICALLY disagree with your suggestion that the Samoaps should be given a large measure of self government—and I think you would, too. if you had lived here long enough to really know the people.

They have more part in affairs now than they can handle successfully or comfortably. They ha vs their fono of faipule; they have their fautua; they have their four members on the Legis lative Council: they have their four mem bers on the Finance Committee. Were you to attend the meetings of those bodies, you would understand better what I mean. They are a very long way from that stage of development in which they could be trusted confidently with self government. To give them that would be like letting loose all the Kilkenny cats: they would be at one another’s throats the next day.

It is wrong to argue that because the Tongans can to a large extent rule them selves, therefore the Samoans can do the same: for there you consider merely that they are both Polynesians, and you neglect the vast differences in their his torical, cultural, political, and sociological developments, and* between their present psychological and sociological develop ments, and between their present psycho logical characteristics. It is not only wrong; it is contrary to the most ele mentary principles of logic.

You assume, too, that they want to govern themselves. What evidence have you of that desire? Personally, I believe that not only are they incapable of exer cising such responsibility, but also that the better minds among them well know it. The few malcontents who babble and bleat around Apia are most decidedly NOT representative of Samoan thought in general; but, unfortunately for Samoa, theirs are the voices that are heard by the outside world—and by itinerant politicians.

You must not forget that the general body of the Samoan people is inarticu late: out of the whole population (now about 66,000) only the matai, numbering about 3,000, are privileged to express any opinion on affairs, for a tafulealea would not dare to open his mouth. And, in practice, the rights of most of the 3,000 are limited to sitting down and listening in to the deliberations of the mighty: if they did otherwise, they would soon find themselves replaced by others more docile to their superiors. I do not think I would be far wrong if I were to put the number of Samoans who have a voice in Samoan politics—l mean native politics— at a maximum of 250. They are not a democratic people, and are not interested in democracy.

Do not imagine that I am antagonistic to the Samoans: I am not. What I am saying is that the voice of the malcon tents and disaffected persons about Apia is not the voice of Samoa; and that to confer any large measure of self-govern ment on them at the present time, or in the near future, would be most detri mental to their welfare, and would be to invite disaster.

I am, etc.,

Old Resident.

2/4/45.

The Rev. R. A. and Mrs. Donne, of the Anglican Mission, and their daughter Patricia left Sydney early in March for Suva, via New Zealand.