"Self-Government" For Western Samoa

NZ Cabinet Torpedoes Trustee Council Mission

ON August 27, just when the mission from the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations was departing from Samoa after some eight weeks of inquiry there, the Acting Prime Minister an nounced in the New Zealand Parliament the details of a new system of Govern ment for Western Samoa.

The plan is very interesting, from more than one viewpoint; but the remarkable thing is that the New Zealand Govern ment should have chosen this moment to announce it.

The announcement could have been made a year ago, when the Trusteeship Agreement was submitted to the parties concerned; otherwise it should have been withheld until the United Nations Mission had had a chance of preparing its report for the Trusteeship Council.

Disinterested observers', the world over, will see only one reason for this dis courtesy to the Trusteeship Council — namely, that the New Zealand Govern ment is so eager to claim political kudos for its Samoan reforms that it decided to publicise its plan before the UNO Mission had any opportunity of formulat ing anything of a similar character.

The war ended in August, 1945, and the United Nations —which clearly was to re place the League of Nations and the Man date system—came into existence im mediately thereafter. One of the United Nations instrumentalities was the Trustee ship Council and one of the Council’s duties was to take over the Mandates.

By October, 1946, the New Zealand Gov ernment had prepared, for submission to the United Nations and the Trustee ship Council, a trusteeship agreement to

take the place of the League of Nations “C Class” Mandate covering Western Samoa. There were consultations with the Samoan peoples’ representatives be fore this agreement went forward to the United Nations. That clearly was the occasion when the NZ Government should have announced the scope and nature of administrative changes, if changes were contemplated. The agreement as drafted by NZ was accepted by United Nations and Trusteeship Council.

The native Samoans refused the agree ment, and demanded a larger measure of self-government. Their refusal, and their demand, also went forward to the United Nations. That provided the NZ Govern ment with another opportunity to an nounce concessions and changes, but Wellington was silent.

The Trusteeship Council considered the Samoans’ petition, and announced, early in 1947, the appointment of a Mission to make inquiries in Western Samoa, and report. The Mission arrived in Samoa at the end of June, made what appears to have been a very complete, thorough in vestigation; and now, after its inquiries are finished, but before it can formulate a report, the NZ Government un expectedly announces its far-reaching re forms.

TO put it mildly, it is an extraordinary thing for the NZ Government to do.

Before the United Nations can con sider, upon the basis of the Mission’s report, the practicability of acceding to the Samoans’ request for the largest possible measure of self-government, the NZ Government’s idea of what may be

the largest practicable measure of self government will have been introduced.

The Acting Prime Minister said that the necessary legislation will be passed this session.

If the NZ Parliament has any sense of the fitness of things, it will compel the Government to hold up its plan until Parliament has had an opportunity of considering, in association with it, the report of the UNO Mission. The latter may suggest important modifications in, or additions to, the former.

There is, for example, the very ticklish question of the union of Eastern and Western Samoa. There is not a word about that from United States (Eastern Samoa) or NZ (Western Samoa).

Why should the Samoans and their archipelago (both homogeneous in char acter) be permanently divided because of silly, petty jealousies between the white nations?

Both NZ and USA make grandiloquent gestures to indicate their tender regard for the wishes and well-being of these native peoples; but when any question relating to the division of Samoa is raised, they are both of them aloof, and very coy, and silent. What hypocrites these politicians are!

The New Plan in Detail

THERE is little that can be said against the NZ plan itself for the future government of Western Samoa. It has been carefully thought out, and effectively takes care of the strongest argument against Samoan self-Govern ment—namely, that the Samoans are not yet equipped to exercise the full functions of self-government, in all respects. Here is the plan: The Administration of Western Samoa becomes the Government of Western Samoa.

The title of the official appointed by the NZ Government to govern the Ter ntory etumges from Administrator to High Commissioner.

The High Commissioner will be advised on all important matters of policy bv a which will comprise the High Commissioner, and the three Fautua or leading chiefs, who are the acknow ledged leaders of the natives. The first such Council, then, will consist of Lieut - V ° elcker - DSO, QBE, MC, Uhl t^hrp^ fa U Tam^ ese and Malietoa (the three leading chiefs).

The Council of State may be added to Pnnrf nf^^ n^f^ on made by the bers nf f tb?T Ul ® w d the Samoa n mem bers of the Legislature, sitting together. renlflppS r6 Kf, nt L T egi s lat i ve Council will be by a Leglslature ’ composed as

Europeans

5 ’ aiultiuffriT 1 Eur ° Pean communit^ 6 ' D?D C a I ?tmp^ emberS • ( P resumab, y heads of 11. Total.

Samoans

I" ore) members of Council of State. 11. Members nominated by the Fono of Faipule. 14. Total.

President

The High Commissioner, ex-offlcio, who will have only a casting vote.

Generally, the Legislature will have powers in relation to all matters

fsfow£g-— h 6 Territory, excepting the

External affairs. Defenrp Control of the Public Service.

Currency and banking. Immigration.

Imposition of discriminatory customs duties.

Currency and banking.

All matters affecting the premia,tivp

of the Crown and titles to Crown lands.

Any decisions on these matters by the Legislature would have to have NZ sanction before becoming law.

The Fono of Faipule, or Samoan Ad visory Council, which consists of 41 rep resentatives of Samoan districts, will re main constituted as at present.

An independent authority will be set up in Samoa to control the public service, which will be removed from the control of the NZ Public Service Commission;

and it will seek means to promote local Europeans and Samoans to positions of authority as soon as possible.

THAT is the plan, in outline. Obviously, it must be filled in with considerable detail before it can be put into operation.

It evidently is the intention of NZ that the internal government of the country shall be in the hands of the Samoans, ex cept in the directions in which power is speciflcially reserved to NZ. There is to be a majority of Samoans in the Legis lature; and, except that he will be the president of that body, the High Commissioner has no chance of filtering down any harsh decision of the Legislature. Surely, it would have been wise to provide, somewhere —either in the hands of the High Commissioner or in the NZ Executive Council —a power of veto. The need for it might arise very rarely; but, on that rare occasion, the need would be urgent. The knowledge that the veto power was latent some

where might serve to chasten the fiery spirit of the new Samoan legislators.

Something should be done to clarify the position of the Euronesians—the “local-born”, as they are called in Samoa --otherwise, the half-caste.

Apparently, with the knowledge that any Euronesian may claim European status, it is intended that they shall be classified, for election and legislature pur poses, as Europeans. A feature of Samoan life is the large and growing community of Euronesians —attractive a'nd intelligent people who are entitled, on their own qualities, to all the best that life in Samoa can provide for them.

The relations between the constantly increasing community of Euronesians and the small and dwindling band of pure Europeans always have been cordial. Yet, conceivably, a position could arise— especially if the “European” positions in the Legislature are to be filled by Euronesians—in which European pro perty-holders could be cruelly persecuted.

The NZ draughtsmen would be wise at this stage to give serious thought to that angle.

Evidently, it is the intention of the NZ Socialists to abandon this rich and beautiful Territory entirely to the Samoans—no effort is to be made to encourage European private enterprise to engage in its accursed practice of ex ploitation and profit-making. Yet Euro pean enterprise and capital, on a limited scale, could do a tremendous amount for Samoa and the Samoans. Look at what it has done already.

Every Samoan to-day is comparatively rich, and the Territory Government has an accumulated surplus of half a million pounds, because the German “exploiters,” in the years before 1914, encouraged Euro peans to go in there and establish coconut and cocoa plantations. The Samoans now have learned how to produce copra, and cocoa, and bananas; but a strong back bone of European enterprise was necessary to initiate that process; and it will be necessary if the process is to continue.

But the gallant planners of the NZ Trades Halls cannot be expected to accept any such reactionary proposition!