Samoa

The Status of the New Samoa

What is to be the status, among the nations, of Western moa, after January 1, 1962, when it is released from United itions Trusteeship and New Zealand supervision?

JL Western Samoa be inside or outside the British Common -17 inside, how will she maintain ms with the British Crown? igh a High Commissioner re ible to the Colonial Office (as i does, through the Governor of Or through the NZ High Com m, who for the present remains ia? Or how? autside, what will be her trad dationship with other countries : Pacific? Will she impose new t duties? Will she lose her i tariff preferences? (At the nt, New Zealand has reduced nports of Fiji bananas by 25 ent.. but has imposed no re in on Samoa’s bananas. Will »e changed?) 1 Samoans travelling abroad a Samoan national passport, r to that issued by the King if Tonga? 1 NZ continue to give Samoa ntial financial help through the don system?

Uncertainties se are some of the questions arise on this occasion; but it icult to answer them, as yet, >e Western Samoa is not yet i of the status she will seek, • part of the Constitution agree that, soon after January 1, 1962, eaty of Friendship between i and New Zealand will be ated. It is assumed that NZ will Samoa certain financial and :al help, which in turn makes ly that Samoa, for a time at will remain within the British lonwealth. that does not fix Samoa’s It does seem that there is a nount of “defining” to be done,

Independence Day.

ippears that matters concerned mport and export duties, treat if ships, control of ports, over ading relationships, control of ige, post and telegraph rela ys* issue of passports, will gen await the final drafting of the ' of Friendship with NZ, and he new State for a time will

carry on as at present and lean rather heavily upon the Dominion’s advice and help.

Samoa has already decided its citizens will be Samoan citizens and not British subjects.

New Zealand has already said ( PIM , Nov. p. 16) that Samoans

under NZ law will be aliens in NZ after January 1, although they would be exempted from alien registration.

The NZ Department of Island Terri tories will act as agents for Western Samoa until it is able to appoint its own representatives to NZ.

Until future working arrangements are settled, Samoan goods entering NZ will enjoy the Commonwealth preferential tariff, and NZ Minister for Island Territories, Mr. F. L. A.

Gotz, has said he hopes other Com monwealth countries will extend these preferences.

But the legal situation after January 1 is that West Samoa is an Independent State, not a member of the British Commonwealth.