Colonel Richardson
In the month of January of 1928, a Samoan Mau Police force formed wearing a unified purple Lava Lava, and white shirt uniform, and became an official Samoan police guard to Mau leaders, including Taisi Olaf Nelson. It was then reported by NZ British that The Mau force were planning to police all European businesses aligned to the Malietoa Tanumafili and Eastern Samoa. The non-Samoan residents (europeans) and Colonel Richardson were unsure of what was actually happening politically, since unentitled foreigners, and even foreign elected representatives had limited access to Samoan Government proceedings, permitted through invitation only.
The general Samoan public had also an ongoing unofficial "silent ban" on interacting with unknowns, tensions were high with so many groups having different allegiances. It was then reported through NZ military channels that Populist-Socialist movements from the Mau were growing in influence and dividing Samoan Affairs with New Zealand and British. The lack of communication signaled a new barrier had formed, and relations continued to sour. Overseas the pro-British New Zealand newspapers published outlandish reports to their own public that all-of-Samoa had become a land of hostiles, to even the delicate white women, no mention of the Samoan British Allies at APIA, and saying ill-mannered rudeness now be a common occurrence.
Samoan Historian "This is actually a common practice in Samoan culture, when a person or group of people are considered shameful, the general Samoan public will ignore them, exiled socially, treated like a stray Dog. The Samoan silent treatment, which is what the Mau Samoan Socialists began using, encouraged the outlook that all Europeans were of shameful descent, a mistrust of race began and nationalism spread, and it seems some villages and townships began changing their outlook on their once British allies. Which means they won't look at you, they wont talk to you, twitch their noses implying you stink. There might be funny animal barking noises from the youth. Special prices set or simply non-selling of products and services.
It was non-violent shunning with a growing police enforcement campaign. Since the Mau felt that division had become a problem, and Internal issues were keeping Samoans from progressing, they created a massive police force dedicated to the service of the people, all with protection under the Law, and the Mau policemen could be legally armed with military weaponry if need be. Alienating all foreigners is also why NZ-officials became infuriated. That's when the NZ-news rumors started, to protest and give some sort of support, Samoans in Government with relations to Britain also began to help break-up the Mau parades and meetings so to keep it all from escalating"
With the silence and the exclusion in Samoan Affairs, it was intently feared a conflict would soon take place, and then came an incident report. The Incident report was taken to be an official attack on NZ-officials, and had made it's way to the NZ Government and military. New Zealand cruisers Dunedin and Diomede then set course to Apia under orders of investigation. The NZ marine and military police force gathered ashore, who were met ashore that day by 400 Mau Samoan police, who had also their own reports of the incoming NZ units.
The NZ Marines waited for orders, since it was found that NZ-officials had "only been scared" into fleeing to the hill-side brush. Historically, the NZ-officials had fled at the site of seeing large Mau organized campaigns, and feared it all to be like the Maori Wars reborn, and who didnt know the Mau had been approved by a few members of the Taimua and Faipule Samoan Government. The entire incident had become escalated over a "little man syndrome of paranoia", and uncomfortable feelings of intimidation, due to the Samoan physical size.
According to N.A. Rowe "This period was further disgraced by sudden inexplicable panics among certain of the white officials, who, led by the Aide-de-Camp, fled suddenly on occasion to the hills at dead of night and took refuge behind barbed-wire at the Wireless Station"
An NZ report claimed The Mau Police were then ordered to stay-off their activities, and remain at station, or leave the city until further orders from Samoan Government, until the situation was discussed fully, and 200 Mau police then moved to the outer edges of the city. Colonel Richardson was then formally reprimanded, and his status as commandant was in plan to be revoked. On March 14th the Prime Minister of New Zealand attempted to explain why the NZ marines were sent, and officially blamed it on a "junior administrative official", that man being Colonel Richardson, however some historical investigations say that blame falls to the Prime Minister, who then used Richardson as a scape-goat. Richardson was officially blamed, accused of an inability to fulfill his duties, and failing effectively to protect NZ-officials, Richardson left in April.
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Posted in: Samoa Pacific Islander Studies
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