Chapter XIV.
The Civil Administration.

Immediately following the Occupation it became necessary to consider the laws and judicial system. As Samoa was German territory in British military occupation it was necessary in the first place to distinguish between the members of the Expeditionary Force itself and the civil population. The Force was subject to the Military Law as established by the Army Act, and offences by the troops were therefore punishable by Courts Martial constituted in accordance therewith.

On the other hand, the law to which the civil population were subject was the German law as it existed prior to the occupation, but under the authority of the Manual of Military Law the Administrator had the authority to modify, suspend or add to this law for the purposes of efficient administration, the security of the occupation and the effective conduct of the military operations.

In addition to the ordinary courts the Administrator had power to establish military courts for the purpose of punishing offences by the civil population, but these military courts were quite distinct from the Courts Martial, which were constituted only for the discipline of the troops.

In administering and enforcing the law to which the civil population became subject the Administrator maintained the ordinary German Courts, and for some days following the occupation the German officials were retained in their offices. It soon became necessary to remove and deport to New Zealand not only the judicial but all the German civil officials of the various departments of the administration, and to replace them by picked members of the Force. Several of the British residents of longstanding were also appointed to assist in this work.

For the Island of Savaii, the largest of the Group, the headquarters of which were situated 50 miles by launch from Apia, it was necessary to appoint a Deputy Administrator, and immediately after the occupation Mr. Richard Williams ("Viliamu"), who had occupied this important position since before the inception of German rule, was replaced in his former office. On the declaration of war he was given the option of resigning his British citizenship or of being relieved of his office, which meant also the loss of his pension, and it was characteristic of the man that he had no hesitation in choosing the latter alternative. He proceeded immediately to his station, and with no apparent support from the Force, carried on the administration of the Island with marked success.

Captain W. H. D. Bell, Orderly Officer, was specially detailed to assist Colonel Logan to reorganise the civil administration, and to select the staff, and in this connection did invaluable work. The Secretariat, Justice Department, Treasury, Native Department, Customs, Lands and Survey, Public Works, Harbour, Police and Prisons, and Labour Departments were soon all fully staffed almost entirely from the ranks of the non-commissioned officers and men of the Force, and the facts that from its inception the business of the country, with a greatly reduced staff, was carried on without hitch; that many valuable improvements were carried out and all Government properties kept in excellent order and repairs, and that large reserves of public funds were accumulated, are sufficient evidence of the successful foundation and carrying out of this important phase of the occupation.

The Civil Staff—1914.
Photo by A. J. Tattersall, Apia.

charge certificates, members of the New Zealand Reserve on active service abroad. The Administrator reported to the Governor-General as follows:—

"I am pleased to report that the N.C.Os. and men employed as Civil Servants have consented to remain in office. They do so at my special request after my pointing out to them that they are benefiting the Empire more by serving page 90in the Administration here than by going to the Front. I may add that everyone of them preferred to adopt the latter course, and I am particularly gratified that at my request they remained in their positions."

The housing of these men at first presented some difficulty. For some time they "camped" in the upper floor of the Court House, but as houses of deported German officials became available they moved into them, with Chinese cooks and Native servants. Good cook boys being greatly in demand and few in numbers, it was ascertained that the gaol at Vaimea housed some excellent cuisiniers, many serving long sentences imposed by the Germans for various offences, from attempted manslaughter down. Some of these men were released on parole for duty with the reservists, and provided many amusing incidents. One Ah Siu had, with several others, broken into the United States Consulate and was doing time for his crime, though his confreres were not caught. One day whilst Ah Siu was preparing tea for his lord and master, one of his co-conspirators passed, not only as a gentleman at large but in possession of Ah Siu's legal wife. The combination was too much for Ah Siu, who sallied forth on to the highway and there commenced a welter of arms and legs—prodigious energy but little skill—until the cries of the assaulted one brought relief. As a result Ah Siu was returned to confinement and cried bitterly at the tragedy of it all.

The Government Hospital staff had also resumed duty after the occupation. All friction with the German doctors, nurses and attendants was stricty avoided, and the greatest tact exercised. These arrangements appeared to be working satisfactorily, and the needs of the native and European inhabitants to be met, but on the 12th September they ceasd work and vacated the hospital. This meant the carrying on of the civil work by the N.Z.M.C., including Europeans and Samoans in hospital and outpatients, Chinese coolie labourers, port health, leper station, town sanitation, etc., and kept the staff very busily engaged.

Soon after the declaration of war all available coin had been hurriedly shipped by the German Government to Pago Pago page 91(American Samoa, and a neutral port), leaving German paper money predominating as the currency of the territory.

A Proclamation was issued making German money legal tender within the territory, and prohibiting the export of currency. The troops soon became accustomed to handling wads of notes of various denominations from five marks upwards, in which they received their pay. This prevented the British currency carried with the Force from getting into the hands of the inhabitants in exchange for the German paper money.

Sample Administration Treasury Note.

Later in the occupation the German currency was exchanged to sterling, as many as M. 1,508,434.04 (which, at the rate of conversion—20.60 to the £—amounted to £73.225 os. 5d.) passing through the Treasury. Of this the notes were disposed of on the American market at a very satisfactory figure. The proceeds of the coin were held against the issue of Administration Treasury notes, which were put into circulation to the value of £47,000.

Samoa

1/-Carmine

The first printing of this stamp consisted of 5 sheets—100 stamps, & these all had the error "Shillings " Later printings on 35 Stamps only had this error corrected.

Sample of Overprinted German Stamps.
Photo by kind permission of J. Schloss, Esq., Wellington.

It was also necessary to overprint the German postage stamps, and this was done by imprinting "G.R.I." and the various values in English across the face. The printing press being a somewhat crude one, and the native workmen having but little experience in so delicate a task, there were many unique specimens struck, which were eagerly sought after, while a complete set soon brought fabulous prices to the fortunate speculators.