Inquiry by UNO Mission

Western Samoa's

Future

THE mission appointed by the Trustee ship Council of the' United Nations to inquire into the recent petition of the Western Samoans for a larger measure of self-government, is expected to arrive in New Zealand, by air, prob ably from New York, in the latter part of June. The members of the mission are:— Francis B. Sayre, of United States.

Pierre Rycknans of Belgium.

Dr. Cruz-Coke, of Chili.

According to the present plan, the mis sion will spend all of July and most of August in Western Samoa.

It is not known whether the mission will visit Eastern Samoa (American).

That, probably, will depend upon whether the mission intends to inquire only into the self-government question. But the Samoans, in their petition to the Trus teeship Council, laid stress also upon their desire that Western and Eastern Samoa should be united. If that request also is considered —and, in the final an alysis, it is the more important of the two—a visit by the mission to American Samoa will be necessary.

A report elsewhere in this issues states that the United States has granted new rights of citizenship to the natives of Eastern Samoa.

MR. Sayre, who is the representative of the United States on the Trustee ship Council, is a former Assistant- Secretary of State and United States High Commissioner to the Philippines.

He was also at one time Envoy Extra ordinary, and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Siamese Government.

Mr. Ryckmans, representative of Bel gium on the Trusteeship Council, is a former Governor-General of Belgian Con go. He is a doctor of laws of Louvian University.

Dr. Coke is a professor of surgery. He was Minister of Health in the Chilean Cabinet from January, 1937 to September, 1938, and was elected Conservative Sen ator for Santiago in 1941. As Presiden tial candidate in September, 1946, he polled the highest number of votes after Senor Gonzalez Videla, who was elected.

It was announced in New Zealand at the end of May that the members of the mission would reach New Zealand about June 23 and that they would leave for Western Samoa on or about June 30.

M. Jean de la Roche, secretary of the mission has already arrived in New Z-ealand. He intended spending about 10 days in the Dominion, conferring with the government before going on to Western Samoa.

He will return to New Zealand in time to meet the UN • Committee, when it arrives at the end of June.