Official Misjudgment In Western Samoa

JUDGED from this distance, there seems to be something rather seriously wrong with the Western Samoan methods of enforcing law and order. In due course, no doubt, the circumstances surrounding the gaol-break of June 10 (see report elsewhere) will be investigated; but the inquiry should extend also to the state of mind of the higher authorities who tried to put an end to the gaolbreakers’ terrorism by making persuasive gestures and soft, cooing noises. r_. „„„ „ of .

Th6se were young native cnminals of Mhe most objectionable lime-hghtmg type.

To a degree, they are products Of that period of administrative weakness which was introduced by ttie .

Socialists in the early Thirties, and Whicn has been distinguished more by appeasement and compromise than by any insistence on discipline and orderliness.

In the past twenty years, a very bad type of arrogant, lazy and useless young Samoan has come into prominence— irresponsible, swaggering hoodlums who partake of the worst characteristics of both Europeans and Samoans. If they are not firmly dealt with, and soon, they are going to constitute a very serious social problem in Samoa.

The attempts by Samoan hoodlums to emulate the Wild West characters of their favourite films—the stealing of small ships in 1949 and 1950, the store thefts and plantation assaults, this terrorising of the countryside last month—are not going to be discouraged by the tactics followed, on June 10-12, by the Samoan authorities.

The efforts made, through Samoan leaders and the radio, to persuade these silly criminals to be good boys and go back to gaol, would be comic, if it were not for their social repercussion. What effect will such methods have upon the hun dreds of young Samoans who already are on the verge of hooliganism? Will they also not dream of the day when they will have high official personages pleading with them to put away their guns and come ho^ e l .. , . ~, Pernaps Samoan high officialdom did end the p terrorism quiet iy, and avoid a bit 0 j extra shooting. But at what cost! It bn „ maHp f b p nnlipp Innk nnrt bas given direct encouragement to the hoodlum element to emulate its heroes. .. hnat-stpalpr*? wifp-mnrdprprs and br °a k |r? ’ murderers ana There is nothing wrong with the Sa ™ an police . £ s on as t g e gao h b reak occurred, they were courageously on the j ob . They should have been left on the j 0 b, and given all possible encouragement and help in hunting down—and, if neces sary, shooting down—the armed gang of ruffians. The quartette, anti-social and completely useless human animals, were n bt entitled to any consideration or mercy, It was more important that the rest of the community should have been given an unforgettable demonstration of the fact that crime generally—and especially spectacular gaol-breaks and shooting of policemen—does not pay. Instead, the exploits of dashing “Dynamite Mac” and his comrades will be discussed and ad mired in many a fale on many long even ings to come.