Mr. Nosworthy's Long-Delayed Visit.

In June of last year the long-delayed visit of the Minister for External Affairs materialised, and he arrived on June 2nd, just in time to assist in the King's Birthday celebrations on June 3rd. There was a sports gathering under the auspices of the administrative officers, and also one organised by the Natives, not in any spirit of "rivalry," but to afford everyone the opportunity of celebrating the holiday as an act*of homage to the King. Citizens had generously subscribed funds for the "sports," controlled by the Administration. There were, however, thousands of Samoans who could not take part in the whole of those sports, and so it was arranged that old Samoan games, in which the older Samoans could participate, should be played after the aquatic sports, in which all Samoans then in Apia district combined in a united celebration.

There was also an Official Ball at Government House, to which even the elected representatives of the Legislative Council were not invited; so, to wind up the holiday, a number of those omitted from the official function at Government House organised an impromptu dance at my home, which was in the nature of a "surprise party," and for which no preparations had been made.

I refer to these trivial matters because an absurd amount of party capital was made of them by Mr. Nosworthy and others in a petty attempt to impugn our loyalty to the Throne, which is as sincere and earnest as that of any Government official in the Territory, and the whole-hearted celebration of the Sovereign's Birthday by all sides in politics should have been a matter for congratulation by a Minister of the Crown, instead of a subject for childish and ill-tempered criticism.

Mr. Nosworthy arrived on June 2nd and stayed with his official staff at Government House as guest of the Administrator, and although the chief object of his belated visit, promised nine months previously, was to consider the complaints of the Citizens' Committee, he delayed meeting us for nine days, and when we waited on him on June 11th the deputation was received in a most extraordinary fashion, which further increased our existing deep misgivings.