November 7th, 1918. An attempted Genocide of Samoa? By Tim Brian Tufuga

(Talune, NZRadio)
Almost 100 years to the day, when the Spanish Flu was brought into Samoa on board the Talune Ship from Auckland New Zealand.
To this moment, it is suspiciously uncertain as to the New Zealand Military Administration's motivation as to why a Ship known to carry the epidemic disease was permitted to port in Apia, Samoa.

Regardless of whether the New Zealand Military Administration were negligent the attitude of Colonel Robert Logan, born in Scotland and migrated to New Zealand in 1881. From official and unofficial correspondences between the Samoan administrator and the New Zealand government, Colonel Logan despised the Samoans and had allegedly derisively described them as 'Monkeys' in his disgust at the Samoans. His actions of self incrimination was strongly supported when the Americans offer to provide medical assistance from American Samoa was flatly refused by Colonel Logan and instead he continued to deride the inability of the Samoans to overcome the foreign epidemic and let them fend for themselves with minimal New Zealand government intervention.

Over a month after the arrival of the influenza in November 1918, in January 1919, Colonel Logan was recalled to New Zealand where he was forced into retirement by the New Zealand government. He returned to England and Scotland and remained till his death in 1935.
He was awarded the Order of Bath as a war hero by the British and the French for his services to the Empire and for his administration of the German Samoan colony during their military occupation under his command.

It is for this later reasons that the suspicions surrounding malicious intent at Genocide seems highly probable by Colonel Robert Logan the Scotsman Commander of the New Zealand First Expeditionary Force from 1914 till 1919.

I will be standing Vigil over the ANZAC Cenotaph at ANZAC Square in the Brisbane City on the Centenary of Armistice Day, 11th November, 2018.
(Shrine of Remembrance at the ANZAC Cenotaph at Brisbane, Wikipedia.)

Whilst, also on November 7th, 1918, the Spanish Flu was introduced to Samoa, under New Zealand Army's Colonel Logan's administration, which coincided with the Armistice Day four days later in London and Berlin.

22% of Samoa's population was decimated with the introduction of the Spanish flu.

The question remains was this act deliberate or was it purely an act of irresponsibility and stupidity by the then New Zealand military occupational administration? The former allegation would be tantamount to a deliberate attempt at genocide. If by accident, then it would an act of gross incompetence and a national disgrace to which Samoa is still owed billions of dollars in monetary compensation by the New Zealand and the British Government today.

The New Zealand First expeditionary Force invaded Samoa and landed at Apia with 1500 New Zealand Soldiers armed with M1 Lee Enfields and support weapons in an amphibious assault at Apia beach.

They proceeded to commandeer the German Samoan Government Administration Buildings in less than an hour upon their landing and by lunch time removed the German Samoan flag and hoisted the British Union Jack upon Samoa on August 29th, 1914. In November 7th, 1918, the Spanish Flu was introduced to the Samoan population under the New Zealand Military Occupational administration resulting in the deaths of 8,500 Samoas or 22% of the total Samoan population at the time.

Reparations for a war crime are still warranted under the terms of Geneva Convention due to Samoa being forcibly invaded by an enemy military force whilst German Samoa was still then at a state of war with Britain and their Allies. In November, 11th, 1918, the war had ceased and the Geneva Conventions would therefore no longer be applicable to German Samoa. However, when the Spanish Flu was introduced to the Samoans, German Samoa was still in actual fact at war with New Zealand, albeit, being an occupied German Colony during the Great War.

sources:

1. Radio New Zealand, https://www.radionz.co.nz/programmes/black-sheep/story/201856326/epidemic-the-story-of-robert-logan
2. New Zealand History, Government of New Zealand, https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/1918-influenza-pandemic/samoa
3. Tagata Pasefika, https://www.facebook.com/tagatapasifikapage/videos/vb.98352830843/551652861930472/?type=2&theater
4. Brunt, Tony. In Memoriam, facebook.com, https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=886693701720136&id=100011385447072

Tim Tufuga

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