Editing History of Samoa (section)

==New Zealand rule==
In November 1918, the [[1918 flu pandemic|Spanish flu]] [[Samoa#Flu pandemic|strongly hit the territory]]. 90% (or 34,471) of the 38,302 native inhabitants were infected and 20% (or 6,894 people) died. The American Samoa population was largely spared this devastation, due to vigorous efforts of its governor, [[John Martin Poyer]]. This led to some Samoan citizens petitioning in January 1919 for transfer to U.S. administration, or at least away from the New Zealand administration. The petition was recalled a few days later.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/docs/1968/NZJH_02_2_04.pdf |title=The Military Administration of Western Samoa, 1914-1919 |author=Mary Boyd |journal=New Zealand Journal of History |volume=2 |issue=2 |page=163 |date=1968 |access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>

New Zealand administered Western Samoa, or Samoa i Sisifo in the Samoan language, first as a [[League of Nations Mandate]] and then as a [[United Nations Trust Territory]]. The Mau movement gained momentum with Samoa's royal leaders becoming more visible in supporting the movement but opposing violence. On 28 December 1929 [[Tupua_Tamasese_Lealofi_III|Tupua Tamasese]] was shot along with eleven others during an otherwise peaceful demonstration in Apia. Tupua Tamasese died the following day; his final words included a plea that no more blood be shed. The leaders of the Mau and other Samoan critics of the administration of Samoa were sent into exile in New Zealand, including [[Olaf Frederick Nelson]].<ref name="PIM31">{{cite web| last = | first = | work= II(10) Pacific Islands Monthly |title= Western Samoa – A Continuing Disappointment |date = 19 May 1932|url= https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-310873141/view?partId=nla.obj-310889001#page/n5/mode/1up | accessdate=26 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="PIM32">{{cite web| last = | first = | work= III(3) Pacific Islands Monthly |title= Pig-Headed New Zealand and Stubborn Samoa |date = 19 October 1932|url= https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-311008548/view?partId=nla.obj-311022583#page/n4/mode/1up| accessdate=26 September 2021}}</ref>