Mixed Blood Community

Editorial Note Mixed Blood Community In Samoa The Solution Of A Problem

READERS who have not lived in Samoa, and know nothing of the hates and prejudices which can sway that small community, probably will say that there appears little in the Administrators ad dress to give anyone offence.

But Western Samoa is a queer place.

For one hundred years (so far as Euro pean records go) it has been the home of petty intrigue, factional jealousies, and plain back-biting; and it does not tend to lose its character. Its people are among the most intelligent, charming and hospitable Polynesians in the South Seas —the visitor departs feeling that, what

ever else life may hold for him, he must go back to Samoa, and be really happy.

But life for the Samoans is very easy.

Their beautiful, fertile valleys and their sun-bathed seas provide them with all they need; so that their main problem is how best to employ their leisure time.

In Polynesia, they fill in the lazy hours with gossin. In Samoa, traditionally split among three or more warring chieftains, inter-community gossip and political oratory provide much of the village pas time.

Thus it was when the Europeans came, and thus it has been ever since.

In course of time, the Europeans stopped inter-tribal fighting. So then the Samoans, for gossip and entertain ment, turned to an intent, ceaseless scru tiny of their European governors. The gentleman whose lot is cast in Vailima knows what the poet meant when he wrote about the white light that peats upon a throne. There is gossip, gossip all the time. There is no escape for the Ad ministrator.

For fifteen years after New Zealand assumed control, the Samoans played savage politics, ending in the blood-letting of the Mau. For the last ten or fifteen vears, there has been complete peace in Samoa. The old generation of fire-eaters is passing awav, and there is no likelihood of disorder. But, fundamentally, the character of the Samoan has not changed: he still is an irresponsible gos sip, a political orator and happy, lovable intriguer. He still likes to watch, and study and stick pins into his Administra tor. In this respect the Euronesians are very like the Samoans, THE only kind of Administrator who could be a hundred-per-cent, suc cess in Samoa would be the cold, aloof English type living onlv for the job, his sense of justice and balance be vond question, and maintaining always between himself and the Samoans a frozen wall of ceremonial and an imnene trable cloud of impressive phrases. That, franklv. is what the native Samoans like and respect.

Colonel Voelcker is neither cold nor aloof. He is full of enthusiasm for his job, he is bubbling over with plans for the advancement of Samoa, and he is so eager for the goodwill and co-operation of the native Samoans that he goes out personallv into the market-place and seeks it. ’ With the result that the native Samoans, with all the goodwill in the world, are inclined to play tig with him; they like to see him funning about.

There is nothing wrong in or with Samoa a good time is being had by all, Wellington has given to the present Administrator more backing and co-op eration in one year than it had given to his predecessors in 20 years, and Samoa is getting the benefit of it. The overall picture is good, and happy.

BUT the “local-born” position (we much prefer to call it the Euronesian posi tion") is a somewhat delicate one; and it may be that the Administrator has been a little impetuous in his handling of it. He went to the natives with his broadcast, in a praiseworthv attempt to create goodwill between Samoans and nart-Samoans; and achieved the irrita tion of the Euronesians, to the Puck-like delight of some mischievous Samoans.

It is not fair to say that Colonel Voel cker was apologising for the presence of the Euronesians; but his approach was wrong. The Euronesians are as much entitled to a place in Samoa as the white New Zealanders are to a place in the land of the Maori. They were bom there, trained there, and in everything but the colour of their skin they are Samoan.

The native Samoans must accept that fact. There should be neither argument nor discussion.

The Euronesians are really not a prob

lem actually, they solve a problem.

Politicians, in their wisdom, have accepted the policy of “Samoa for the Samoans.’’

So it must be. The Europeans already are on their wav out there are only two or three hundred of them there, now.

The native Samoans themselves are scarcely ready to take over administration, trade, commerce, finance. But the Euro nesians are.

If it were not for the Euronesians, the Europeans might have to remain in Samoa for another generation or two. As it is, slowly and steadily, their places are being taken by Euronesians, and a steadily increasing number of educated Samoans. The presence of the Euro nesians helps to solve Samoa’s problem and bridge the gap.

It is only right and proper that it should be so. The European-Samoan unions have provided Samoa with some very able as well as some very attractive people. And there is nothing incongruous In such a union.

THE right type of Polynesian is a fit ting mate for a European, and there is no reason, scientific or social, why their children, trained in the right envi ronment, should not aspire to any place held by a European. All over the Pacific, and in many countries in Europe and the Americas, there are men and women with 50 and 25 ner cent. Polynesian blood holding high places in the professional,

commercial and social world.

On his fundamental qualities, the pure

Polynesian also may aspire to such places; but he generally is under some handicap of environment he can be described in most cases, as two or three generations behind the Euronesians.

Colonel Yoelcker, as the man on the spot, should know his Samoans. He is perfectly right in planning a Samoa in which Samoan and part-Samoan should go on happily together. But he is wrong in asking the Samoans to accept the part- Samoans. The part-Samoans already are there, irrevocably, as part of Samoa, a