And In West Samoa They’re “All Sleeping

With Loaded Guns”

From A. M. GURAU, in Apia.

In February and March the New Zealand Truth published seme articles on the coming self-government and on the great increase of lawlessness and violence in the .territory. The reports contained some startling exaggerations, though many of the opinions regarding the Government’s policy and the attitude of the High Commissioner, Mr. G. R. Powles, are shared by most of the European residents.

IT is an exaggeration to state that “Europeans in Western Samoa are sleeping with loaded guns handy since an arsonist attempted to burn Mr. A. Lambourne, manager of Morris Hedstrom’s Apia branch, and his wife, in their beds, after first bludgeoning to death a neighhour’s dog which might have given a warning.”

The apparent arson affecting Mr.

Lambourne was the first of its kind in the Territory and probably was not due to anti-European feeling. (Though a reward of £5OO was promised for information leading to the arrest of the culprit or culprits, weeks ago, no information has come forward and the case remains a mystery.) Undoubtedly larrikinism amongst the youth of Samoa is on the in crease, and so is dishonesty. And there is great apprehension amongst Europeans regarding the future status of European residents in the Territory. What have been called the vaccinating and weak policy of the High Commissioner and, acting on his advice, the New Zealand Gov ernment, could be blamed for the present situation.

In a Hurry The reports in Truth allege, apart from the charge of maladministra tion by New Zealand, that New Zea land is in a hurry to get rid of her

xmsibilities in Western Samoa has therefore willingly agreed grant self-government in 1960. there is another aspect which writer, or writers, of the article e overlooked. economically, Western Samoa is ?ndent on New Zealand, England the USA, as buyers of Samoa’s luce and therefore can hardly rd to antagonise overseas omers and risk losing valuable kets, with a corresponding lower of the standard of living of the loan people. le banana industry, for instance, t present entirely dependent on exports to New Zealand and it oubtful whether Samoan bananas be exported to any other itry. The point of saturation for Samoan banana exports to New and seems to have been reached, New Zealand has also obliga s to allot a share of the banana le to Fiji and Tonga, good omers for New Zealand products. n the other hand the banana istry is seriously threatened by bunchy top disease which is lading rapidly since it made its appearance in the Lefaga dis : of Upolu. So far there have i found no effective means to bat the spread of the disease it is gloomily predicted that disease might wipe out the le of the banana industry with ;he next five years. This would ;ed be the most severe blow for Samoan economy, which in 1958 saved by the export of £1,000,000 fch of Samoan bananas to New land.

NZ Committed

here is no doubt that practically self-government will commence of 1960 with the creation of a inet of Samoan Ministers, two loan Heads of State and the idrawal of the High Com moner. The New Zealand Gov nent has committed itself to ■government in 1960 with the roval of the United Nations steeship Council and the pre visit of the UN Mission to tern Samoa cannot alter the mitment, but can only deal with inicalities. ;rong representations have been le, and will again be made, to Misison that any grant of self crnment must effectively safe :d the personal and property ts of European residents, both Europeans and local born Euro is. is of some interest to note i the increasing antagonism irds Europeans is at least as h directed against local-born Dpeans who compete against full loans in Government services business, and some years ago then Samoan Parliament, the d of Fairpule, expressed the wish

hn?n 1 , ocal "

K )1 «,r l 5? )peans sh ? uld b . e employed service only in pioportion to their census population that is, 5 per cent.

Can t Be Replaced It will however bp nuitP im possible for the Samoans to renlaSe

or locaT-born peJpbTin

Governmpnt and hiKinp<;« Lrovernment and business.

The full Samoans with any qualifIU re . spon : sible positions in Government and business or to supervise plantations do not exist at present, and it will take at least another full genera-

tion before they can be trained to take such positions. It is regrettable that some irresponsible Samoan leaders are conducting a campaign against Europeans which has some damaging effect on young Samoans. it is true that intelligent Samoans do not share such irresponsible views and are well aware that the and future of Western Samoa must be based on the co operation and unity of all sections of the population.

And there are hopeful signs that this attitude will in the end be accepted by the Samoan people as the only sound basis for the future Samoan self-governing State,