14
concerned. The educated classes, so far as my inquiries have gone, also favour British rule, under which fuller scope is afforded them for individual trading enterprise, which was discouraged under German Government. The establish- ment in Lome of a number of native firms since the British occupation is evidence of this. Ends.
I will send by next mail notes of actual statements made and full report.— CLIFFORD.
15
BRITISH MILITARY OCCUPATION OF SAMOA.
CENSUS of the EUROPEAN and NATIVE POPULATION (excluding indentured CHINESE and SOLOMON ISLAND LABOURERS) of the BRITISH MILITARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORY of WESTERN SAMOA, as on lat July, 1917.
Nationality.
Male.
Female.
Total,
15995.
No. 15.
NEW ZEALAND.
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1st April 1918.)
[The asterisks indicate the portions which were printed as No. 8 in [Cd. 9210].]
Secret.
British
American
Swede -
Other Nationalities
German
Samoans
Other Polynesians
Total
345
303
648
132
104
236
25
17
42
103
97
200
284
246
19,199
16,205
530 35,104
310
121
431 ·
20,398
17,093
37,491
This Census excludes Government Officials from New Zealand and members of the Occupying Force and their families who are included in the New Zealand Consus.
44
Government House, Wellington,
30th January 1918.
18331
*
*
I have, &c.,
LIVERPOOL,
1
Governor-General,
G. H. 283/18.
Secret.
Enclosure in No. 15.
British Military Occupation of Samoa,
Administrator's Office, Apia, Samoa,
11th January 1918.
*
I attach a synopsis of the Census recently taken of the Samoans. I am confident that a very large majority, probably 80 or 90 per cent., are in favour of Samoa remaining under British rule, but it must be remembered that the Samoans resemble children, and if a referendum were taken and something had arisen a few weeks previously which had given offence they might quite easily vote contrary to
their inclinations.
There can be no doubt but that they will accept British rule without any trouble. The American citizens will, as a matter of course, use their endeavours to bring all the Islands under the flag of the United States. The island of Tutuila is costing that Government 20,000l. more or less per annum, and if they obtained the other islands of the Group, the whole would be self-supporting.
Swedish and other nationalities would be very greatly British, and of the European nationalities, comprising approximately 900, it could safely be estimated that 800 would be in favour of British rule. There are also 530 Germans in Samoa.
I am informing Your Excellency to-night by radiogram that this Despatch should arrive in New Zealand via Pago Pago about the 28th January.
His Excellency,
I have, &c.,
ROBERT LOGAN, Colonel,
Administrator of Samoa,
The Right Hon. The Earl of Liverpool, P.C., G.C.M.G., M.V.O.,
Governor-General of New Zealand.
No. 16.
UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA.
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Secret (2).) SIR,
(Received 15th April 1918.)
Governor-General's Office, Cape Town, 4th March 1918.
WITH reference to your despatch No. 559 of November 28th last,* and to my telegrams of February 12th,† I have the honour to transmit to you a Minute from my Ministers, forwarding a petitiont addressed to His Majesty's Government by the Captain and Raad of the Rehoboth Bastards.
2. Although this petition is dated the 22nd August 1917, I was not aware of its existence until January last, when Senator Schreiner, who with Mr. Drew was at Rehoboth shortly before the petition was drawn up, asked my Secretary when the reply of His Majesty's Government might be expected. I made inquiries and found that the petition was still under the consideration of the Minister of Defence. I then wrote to Colonel Mentz, who is acting as Minister of Defence, and pointed out to him that a petition addressed to His Majesty's Government should be transmitted without delay and not kept back for months until Ministers had decided what form their observations on the petition should take. Shortly afterwards I received the document officially with the covering Minute, which I am now sending you. No satisfactory explanation of the delay has been given to me, and I can only attribute it to carelessness in the Defence Department, and probably also to a desire to snub the petitioners.
3. In paragraph 10 of their Minute, Ministers make certain allegations against Senator Schreiner and Mr. Drew. No evidence is given to support the charges, and
in fairness to these gentlemen I would point out that as long ago as January 1916 the Bastards, in a similar memorial addressed to the Prime Minister of the Union, put forward the request to which they still adhere, that after peace they should be governed directly by the Imperial Government and not by the Union.
4. I am not disposed to attach great weight to the implied distrust by the Bastards of the Union Government. When the time comes it should not be difficult to arrange guarantees satisfactory to these people and to any other native tribes in South-West Africa. What seems to me to be of much greater immediate importance is the aversion and even horror with which all the natives of the Territory regard the possible restoration of German rule.
I have, &c.,
BUXTON,
Governor-General.
:
* 53883, not printed.
+ Nos, 9 and 10.
† See No. 10.
B
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
mmmmimC.O.
885/26
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-|
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO |
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.