The Samoans are pure Polynesians, and according to the traditions of many Polynesian peoples Savaii was the centre of dispersion of the race over the Pacific ocean from Hawaii to New Zealand. In any case, the Samoans are the most perfect type of Polynesians, of a light brown colour, splendid physique and handsome regular features, with an average height of 5 ft. 10 in. Their mental and social standard is high among Pacific peoples ; they are simple, honourable, generous and hos pitable, but brave fighters. Their idolatry (polytheistic) was un accompanied by human sacrifice. They have become mainly Prot estants, Catholics or Mormons, but retain many superstitions connected with their native religion. The women and children are well treated. The principal foods of the natives are vegetables, coconut, bread-fruit, bananas, fish and pork. The Samoan lan guage is soft and liquid in pronunciation, and has been called "the Italian of the Pacific." It is difficult to learn thoroughly, because of its many inflections and accents, and its being largely a language of idioms (see POLYNESIA). The total native popula tion in American Samoa was (1930) 10,055, as compared with 5,679 in 190o. Of the total in 193o, Tutuila had 7,809 and the Manua group 2,147. The population of Swains island numbered just 99. The chief town, Pago Pago, had 708 inhabitants. The population of western Samoa on June 3o, 1934, totalled 52,792, of which 49,775 were natives or contract labourers and 3,017 (chiefly British), were of European stock.
New Zealand was given a mandate by the League of Nations to administer Western Samoa on Dec. 17, 1920. The Constitution was settled by the Samoan Act of 1921 and an amending act of 1923. The Administrator has the assistance of a legislative council, and a consultative native council. Copra, cocoa and rubber are the principal articles of export. The total exports in 1926 were valued at £320,783, and in 1927 at £335,978; the imports, chiefly British, in the above years, were £324,940 and £304,369 respectively. The revenue in 1926 was /150,039; expenditures, £145,687.
American Samoa is administered by the naval commandant who also holds the governorship by commission from the U.S. Presi dent. Under the American governor there is a native governor in each of the three political divisions. Laws proclaimed by the gov ernor are usually ratified at the annual meeting of native dele gates. The laws of American Samoa, codified in 1921, are printed in both the English and the Samoan languages. The seat of Gov ernment is at the naval station on Pago Pago bay. Almost the whole of the land is owned by the natives, the principal article produced for export being copra. The copra sold in 1925 was
lb.—valued at $139,376 as compared with 3,920,640 lb. valued at $161,236 in 1924. The total imports in 1925 were $192,412 of which $92,610 were from the United States,
from British colonies and $3,3o9 from other countries. The budget for 1926 called for an expenditure of $83,401; the estimated in come was $86,600. The U.S. Naval Radio station at Pago Pago is also used for ordinary commercial service. Transportation is maintained by the Oceanic Steamship Company.
The Manua group was probably seen by the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen in 1722 and named Baau mann Islands after one of his captains. Louis de Bougain ville explored the islands in 1768 and called them the Iles des Navigateurs. This name is still used. La Perouse followed in
1787, Edwards of the "Pandora" in 1791, and Otto von Kotzebue in 1824. Two members of the London Missionary Society came to Samoa in 183o, and in 1839 Charles Wilkes, the American ex plorer, surveyed the archipelago. The islands, especially Upolu, now began to attract foreign capitalists; and in 1847, 1853 and 1861 respectively, Great Britain, the United States and Germany appointed representatives. Native wars, and the important geo graphical position of Samoa soon led the foreigners to consider annexation. The home governments were, however, not anxious to go so far, although the United States was allowed in 1878 to occupy Pago Pago—much the best harbour in the group—as a coaling station, and to make a trading treaty with the natives. Similar privileges were obtained by Germany and Great Britain the following year. Continued civil wars brought the powers to a conference at Berlin in 1889, by which they guaranteed the inde pendence of the islands under what was virtually a protectorate of the three powers. Friction still continued and reached its height in the native wars of 1898, and a new agreement was reached by England and Germany in 1900, later ratified by the United States. By this, Great Britain withdrew entirely from Samoa, in return for compensation elsewhere. Germany received all rights over Western Samoa, and the United States all rights over Tutuila and the other eastern islands.
On Aug. 3o, 1914, the German islands of Western Samoa were occupied by a New Zealand expeditionary force, and in May 1919 the Supreme Council in Paris conferred a mandate for them on New Zealand. The Government of New Zealand, unlike that of South Africa in a similar matter, asked the British Government for legal authority to act under the mandate. It also took over the German holdings of land, more than 8,000 acres. The constitu tion was settled by the Samoa Act of
and an amending act of 1923. An administrator was appointed by New Zealand, to have the assistance of a legislative and a native council.
k, Samoan Material Culture (193o); George H. Ryden, The Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa (1933); and Felix M. Keesing, Modern Samoa (1934). See also Handbook of Western Samoa compiled by W. A. G. Skinner (1925), and the General Report of the Governor of American Samoa revised by H. F. Bryan (1927). The best history of the islands is R. M. Watson's History of Samoa (1918). Other books of interest and value are Robert Louis Stevenson, A Footnote to History (1892), and Vailima Letters (1895) ; G. Turner, Samoa a Hundred Years ago and Long Before (1884) ; W. B. Church ward, My Consulate in Samoa (1887) ; Journal des Museums Godef froy (1871-74) ; G. Kurze, Samoa, das Land, die Leute and die Mis sion (1899) ; 0. Ehlers, Samoa, die Perle der Siidsee (19oo) ; and L. P. Leary, New Zealanders in Samoa (1918). See also the New Zealand Government's report to the League of Nations on the Mandated Terri tory of Western Samoa and the Annual Report of the Customs and Marine Department of Western Samoa; Report of the joint commis sion of 1899 (parliamentary papers, c. 9506) ; annual Reports of the commandant at Tutuila, Pago Pago, Samoa (Washington, D.C.) ; New Zealand Official Yearbook (annual, Wellington, N.Z.) ; Sir James Allen, "The Samoan Mandate" (United Empire, vol. xi., pp.