Incident”

Apia Has A “Flag

Series of Remarkable Events Follows Darts Game

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, April 26.

TWO associate members of the Returned Servicemen’s Association, H. Krone and B. Brownlee, at the Clubroom and bar of the Association (the so-called USO HALL) late in April, when playing darts, inadvertently threw some darts at the new Samoan flag, suspended on the wall of the hall. The flag fell to the ground, and they tried to remove the darts.

The incident was reported to the two Fautua, the Hon Tamasese and Malietoa.

It caused excitement and criticism among Europeans and Samoans, par ticularly as some versions of the incident were greatly exaggerated.

A meeting of the State Council (which consists of the High Commissioner and the two Fautua) was called and for a time feeling ran high. It was argued that the action of the two Europeans constituted a deliberate insult to the new Samoan flag.

Both the Europeans, who are old resi dents, strongly denied that any insult or disrespect was intended. They stated that their action had been purely acci dental, and that they sincerely respected the new Samoan Government and its flag.

Both the executive of the Returned Servicemen’s Association and Messrs.

Krone and Brownlee appeared before the Council of State, and expressed their sin cere regret and tendered their apologies, which were accepted.

The High Commissioner, on April 23, broadcast an explanation of the incident over the Apia station, and asked the Samoan people to follow the good example of their leaders in accepting the apologies tendered and to consider the incident closed. The High Commissioner’s state ment was followed by the explanations and apologies of Messrs. Krone and Brownlee, broadcast in English and Samoan.

As a precautionary measure, the USO hall and bar were temporarily closed by the Police.