Lawlessness In

Samoa

Vicious Assault on Plantation Manager

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, July 20.

MR. D. C. M. CAMPBELL, manager of the Vaitele Plantation was attacked] on July 3 by a Samoan he found J stealing coconuts on Vaitele Plantation,, and seriously injured by knife wounds.

Lately, plantation thefts of cocoa, coco- ■ nuts and bananas have become serious; and so frequent that European planters: are losing a large portion of their crops..

The thieves are stealing from both j Samoan and European plantations..

Samoan chiefs are complaining that it is; increasingly difficult to detect and ap prehend the offenders.

About noon on July 3, Mr. Campbell,, who is manager of the New Zealand Re paration Estates' Vaitele plantation, was; on horseback inspecting workers on the; plantation. Near the stone wall boun dary with Retzlaff’s plantation he found] four Samoan youths, husking coconuts; and packing same in large baskets, ready to be taken away. The four men tried I to escape over the stone wall. Mr..

Campbell pursued and tried to grab one..

The Samoan turned and attacked Mr..

Campbell with a large knife, viciously l slashing at his head. When Mr. Camp-' bell put up his left arm, his arm andJ hand were deeply cut. Mr. Campbell] grappled with his assailant and managed,, in spite of serious injuries, to wrench the; knife away from him. The Samoan, who< was unknown to Mr. Campbell, then es-- C£tDod Suffering from loss of blood, Mr. Camp bell dragged himself homewards for' about half a mile, when he was found] by a plantation labourer, whom he sent; for police and a doctor. He was taken; to Apia Hospital, where he was operated] on and given a blood transfusion. He is; recovering, but he may lose the use of: his left arm.

Police Sergenat Thompson, investigat ing, suspected that the four Samoans; came from the village of Tuamoa. He; summoned the village chiefs, and showed] them the knife. One of the chiefs, Pepe„ at once recognised the knife as belonging; to his 18-years-old son, Fa’asuaga. The; latter was brought in, and at once ad mitted the offence, and named the other' three men who had with him, stolen the; coconuts. All four were arrested, andl in Apia were given prison sentences for' theft A charge of assault was post poned until Mr. Campbell is recovered to give evidence.

The Campbell case directs attention toe conditions in Samoa, where lawlessness; —particularly burglaries, thefts and! crimes of violence—are on the increase.

The younger Samoans seem to have lost) respect for the law. Only a few days; later, a Samoan from the village 9! ] Puapua, Savaii. was brought to Apia mr a dying condition. He had had a fightl about a boundary, and had been viciously slashed across the stomach with a bushr knife. , , , Several organisations have taken up the case of Mr. Campbell and have passed, resolutions expressing grave concern oven the growing lawlessness of Samoans and: the insufficient protection for lives and: property of planters.

Mr Leo Morel, of Wellington, NZ who is known in some South Pacific Terri tories —especially in Cook Islands wher© he has an interest in a plantation—has been appointed to the United Nations,; International Panel of Photographers.