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the administrative and other services of the Territory" ; and to " develop the participation, of the inhabitants of Western Samoa in advisory and legislative bodies and in the government of the Territory " (Annex III). 7. On 13 December, 1946, the draft Trusteeship Agreement was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations. 8. On 17 December, 1946, the Administrator called a public meeting of the European residents of the Territory to discuss the Trusteeship Agreement and other matters relating to the petition from the Samoan leaders. A series of public meetings among the European residents followed, at one of which (4 February, 1947) a European Citizens' Committee was elected by them to formulate the ideas of this important and influential section of the population. The recommendations of this ■Committee as accepted by the majority of the Europeans were presented to the Mission on 8 July, 1947, as a six-point programme. This programme, which was slightly amended in a later meeting with the Mission, accepts the principle of self-government, but asks for a transition period for training and adjustment (Annex \E£). 9. Late in May, 1947, following the decision of the Trusteeship •Council to send a Mission to Western Samoa, further meetings were held by the Samoan leaders and district representatives at Lepea Village, near Apia. These meetings continued up to the arrival of the Mission and during its stay in Samoa. On 23 July, in compliance with a request by the Mission for specific proposals as to what form selfgovernment should take in the Territory, the Samoan leaders presented a plan for a new government of Western Samoa (Annex VII). 10. Before the Mission's arrival in Western Samoa, the New Zealand Government and the local Administration had under consideration plans to implement the Trusteeship Agreement and to enact legislation in conformity with the principles of the Trusteeship System. The Mission was kept informed of existing plans and heard the views of local officials. Further reference to this matter will be found in the •concluding chapter of this report. B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PETITION 11. Practically all Samoans wish to see their own leaders at the head of the Government of their country as soon as possible. The acceptance of the Trusteeship Agreement is not in any way incompatible with these aspirations, since the Agreement establishes for the administering authority the duty not only to grant self-government as soon as the inhabitants are ready to assume the responsibilities it implies, but also to take positive measures to speed up the achievement of that aim. Unfortunately, however, because of their apparent failure to study the