Samoa?

Civil Administration for Eastern Samoa?

IT is believed that the United States Department of the Interior will take over control of American Samoa sometime this year and that, ultimately, only a small Naval garrison will be re tained in Page Pago. (By agreement between Germany, Britain and the United States, in 1899, Eastern Samoa be came American territory. Control was delegated to the Navy Department and the Governor has always been a Navy officer appointed by the US President.

The harbour of Pago Pago was ceded to USA as a naval and coaling station as long ago as 1878).

In recent years the Samoans have gained an increasing amount of self government but there has been amongst

some sections, an agitation for civil ad ministration.

It seems now that they are likely to get what they want but whether they will find it as much to their liking as they think, remains to be seen. Eastern Samoa lias no economic importance what ever—the only export is copra (about 1,700 tons per year, pre-war) and such prosperity as it has enjoyed has derived from the naval establishment which re ceived a substantial grant. Whether the Department of the Interior will be cor respondingly generous is doubtful.

It is believed that a Civil Governor will take up his job about mid-1950.

Thereafter the USA will tend to centre its defence establishments in the former Japanese Mandated territories.