Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-13
DAILY POsT.INTELLIGENcER
SAMOA.

German sogrsssion in the PaeiHc. FOR
sneh a seixare there is absolutely ns
Justification, unless the fact that Ter
msny ia strong aud Samoa weak be re-
oardsd A sucb. The Sanozns have Tor
many year. been subiscts Of an elective
King. who ruled ss eonssiufiooai
monarch through a National Assembly
consisting Of representatives elecs'd by
the people Of the islands Of the group
This governmsDt, altsOoes not strong
one, vas veil sdapted 70 the necessi'iss
and inclipstions Of the natives and
under il they have been prosp%r@us ana
hapuy. 10 many misor respects sne
government %. modelled upon that 81
the United States. IL was established
under American auspices, and under Al
implisd prot. ctorsts OF the United
States, this 0Ovsrnmsnt having sent
vesse. Of war TO the islands At the time
Of the coronation OF the present King
Tn. seizure il not unexpected. Ieis
In the third attempt that Germany has
made 10 overthrow the little island gov
srnment In 1880 Prince Bismarck
made a mos. strenuous efsrs 10 force
through the Rsichstag q bill. the pas
SAGE OF which would have Amounted 70
the virtual annexation OF the islands
This bill vas defeated by q Close VOTE
and the measure vas sft-zsd 20 rest for
several years. About . year ago ne
urei-ct Was revived. bot was apparently
abandoned after q very earnest dipso-
matte correspondence between Pnncs
Bismarck and Earl Granville. tses Fog
lish secrssary for Foreign Affairs Inc
peop,s of Australia were then an1ioas
for the annexation OF the Islands oy
Great Britain, bot the correspondence
apparently ended in an agreement that
their independents would be respected
by both England and Germany. Ii
sash an agreement Vas made, Germany
has evidently resardei IL only A ten
psrixipa expediens and has thsaght iit-
tle Of breaking 1t.
America, however, Ia, or should be,
nero interested than EoRiand in this
upiostinsble seizure. The American
Government has rights and claims In
the samoan Islands compared with
which the shsdovy claim Of Spain to
the Caroline Islands Is as nothing. Yet
an attempt made by Germany TO seize
the Carolines several months ago
aroused the people of Spain to 9 pitch
Of fury such a. they had not shown
siacs she days Of the PeninsuIar War.
The Spanish Government, weak, poor
and crippled az II is, rotten and bur
dsped down With debt, existing by suf-
feranoe and not knowing on what day
n will be overthrovn. warned Germany
svay from the Carolines With a. much
dignity and emphasis as II Philip ii in
stead Of Alpbonso XII bad been on the
throne Of Spain. And Germany let the
islands alone. Bismarck sithdrew from
the disaeressble predicament as grace
fully AZ he could. and left Spain In an
disputed possession Of the Csrolines
The American Government, however
allows It's rights TO be infrinRed and il,
claims disreearded without usterina I
word OF protest.
What are the rights Of the Unites
States In regard TO Samoan In 1871.
company called the "Polynesian LAM
and Commercial Company" vas formed
In the United States. This compsn,
bought parcel Of land in the hsrbo
Of Page. Pseo, island OF Tutaila, IA
noa; and the American Government
sent out var vessel. the Narragansett
70 sarvey the hsrbor. The NarraRsn
sett arrived at Pago- Psgo in January
1872. Her commander, Conmodor,
Meade. found the natives well disposet
and favorable towards the United State
and made . treaty with the chief o.
Pago- Pogo by which the Governmen
obtained permission to establish ther'
ooaline station. The harbor and sur
rounding coasts were formally surveyed
One year later the United States tool
formal possession OF the station and hsl
since regarded 10 a. one Of It's regulAl
naval stations.
A recent writer, discussing the forme,
attempts on the part Of Germany &c
seize the islands. referred 10 the Ameri
can claim In the following language;
Unfortunately for this scheme OF
annexation. the Government OF the
United States had acquired rights on
the island Of 1uituiia, which 10 prob.
ably would not willingly have resigned.
and which will seriously interfere With,
II not prevent. the acquisition Of these
islands by any foreign nation. II may
have been At that time the intention Of
the German Government 10 ignore
these rights Of the United States bot.
however shat may he. 10 10 not probable
that such q step would NV be taken
without the consent Of the American
Government"
Il may not have been probable. bu, 10
has been done Just the same. The
Government OF the Uaissd States.
which allows itself to bs drawn into q
silly and undienidsd correspondence
concerning the important point Of
whether A. N. Kelley or some ether
man shail represent IL at the court Of
Vienna, cannot fnd time 10 utter q
vord Of protest against &C act Of vio-
icat aggression which dspr;ves 10 Of
The best haroor among the south See
isisnds--a hArbor whose advantages
have been Slammed mp by Lieutenant
y. b. vintoa. Of the United States
Navy. In The following lsns aAee;
II, h very nearly land locked. and has
body OF water that will fioat the larp
eel vessels. II is the hey Of The eronp.
Lyiss directly In the track Of commersr
and steam navigation between the vrst
coast OF America and the islands of she
East, its position wiil naturally force Ia
In time TO become Q most import Ant
place and necessity 10 growing com
merse. II 10 situated midway between
Hoaolnlu and Sydnsy; and its posi.isn
in relstsos 20 Nov Zsaland. AassrAlia.