The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-05-04
The German Protectorate over the Mar
shall Islands

shall Islands
ED1roR GAzEr1E: Many Of your readers will be
interested in getting some reliable account of the
methods pursued and objects aTowed, IN the estab
lishrnent of the German Protectorate on the Mar
shall Islands. send you for publication the fol-
lowing statement of facts, which have gathered
| from correspondence, and from personal inquiry
since the arrival of the 81 Morning Star There
\ had been no ASSERTION in any form of the Spanish
sovereignty Of tie Caroline Islands up to the time
4 the Star left the Ruk lagoon, March 11th.
When n. l. G. NJ. S. Nautilus arrived at Ebon, one
Of the Marshall Island group We are told that the
| King Kabua from Ailinlaplap, and the chiefs of
| principal ISLANDS were summoned to a council.
The German captain stated the object of his visit,
and presented articles of agreement in writing for
| them to sign. The Hawaiian Consul at Jaiuit has
probably forwarded an official copy. From ac-
counts received not official however, the substance
of the various a-ticles may be given as follows
LIST. The King aud Chiefs in order to guarantee
security to commerce with the islands, which they
aver to be now principally managed by German
traders ask h. l. q. NJ. for His protection, that
they may be able 10 maintain the independence of
their islands. H. /. G. NJ promises His protection,
with reservation of existing legitimate rights
of third parties.
ID The King and Chiefs agree that they will
sell land to any foreigner, sell land to any
foreign nation, nor make any treaty, without the
consent of Il. l. 6. NJ.
Sd. They guarantee protection to all German
residents, and will never grant favors beyond this
that are not granted also to all Germans.
|
| German subjects without the consent of H.LG.M.
9Th. h l. g. NJ. will not in any shape or manner
put any burdens the erstiHg free trade of these
| islands
9th. Other matters of mutual interest TO be re-
served for future agreement.
9TH. This agreement TO come into force at once,
| subject to ratification by H. l. g. NJ.
The German Captain was indignant with what
he was pleased to call the unla wfu interference of
| the church people with secular business. Sum
monng the chiefs together, with the native pastors
| of the churches of Ebon and Jaluit, be told them
| they ought to have the flag of some great nation
| to protect them. The Jaluit pastor, Rev. Lanlen,
| replied. of we should want any flag for Dur
protection, you know what that flag would be-
| ''What flag is it?' "The flag of the nation that
gave the Word of God our schools, our churches,
our ideas of Christian civilization. What we would
like for flag, if we must ask the protection OF
| some foreign nation, is the Stars and Stripes OF
the United States" But the choice was not theirs
to make. There was tine German flag: they must
| take the protection that was thrust upon them.
Then in violation of the articles OF agreement the
| king and chiefs had Just signed, declaring tEat
trade was to be free, the church at Ebon was Of
dsred to pay fine of $500 for passing resolution
not to trade with any captain or trader, who sold
or gave intoxicating liquor to natives or to foreign
residents. The church was told the nne would De
doubled, if the money was not forthcoming in so
many hours. So the church voted TO pay the hne;
different members according 10 their ability, as
| Stunning certain share. half the amount was
paid at once; the remaining half is to be paid to
| the German Consul in April. The influence OF
the church on such an island as Ebon, Is SO great
| that the vote of the church would be tantamount
| to law of the chiefs. Rev. Lanien, the Ebon
pastor, was one of those that the Rev j. f. Whit
ney taught. He began his work as teacher, IN
1873 and is one Of the leaders of his people in
all good things.
At Kusaie the seizure was made on Sunday
Oct. Is. The Russians observe the Sabbath very
strictly, neither fishing trading on that day.
The Germans wanted to buy for their vessels but
| were told that nothing would be sold on the Sab
| hat fhav yVai Monday. thew
buy whatever there was to sell. They would not
wait. Mrs. Cole, traders widow, native OF
Tahiti, woman of consistent and Intelligent
piety, accused of influencing the natives IN
their refusal to sell. The threat was made that
another time they would return and teach the
people and the missionaries what a German Sun
day was. As II was Communion Sunday, many oil
the people were absent at the Mission Station on
the other side of the island. Their houses simply
tied together in native fashion, were broken Open
and these Sunday visitors helped themselves to
what they fancied, not articles of any great
value however. The missionary families would
have been glad to meet the German officers, hop
ing for some medical advice from the surgeon.
Some of them came around on the midnight tide,
arriving about NJ, only to find that the vessels
had gone. A brief note left for them, IN
English, simply notifying them that no more
sales of land to foreigners would be permitted.
No German flag was left; only sort of bulletin
board, on which was tackled some written docu-
ment In the German language, was put up near
the high chiefs residence.
When the Ariad,e, another German vessel, Wis
tied JRluit in 1873, the Captain made treaty
| with Kabura and saluted his flag That Captain
expressed bis determination TO withdraw support
from any German citizens who should not obey
the laws prohibiting the sale of liquor. The whole
treaty, as made at that time, was in the interest
| of law and order. The traders themselves would
seem to be in sympathy with the Captain of the
AyiadHe, rather than the Captain of the NauHHsi
for since II. l. G. NJ. Protectorate was established
the chiefs of the Island of Ebon have promul-
gated law with the sanction of II. |. g. NJ. Con-
| sal dated Oct. 81 1856 This law declares, that
eigner, on this island to be drunken, or to drink
any kind of Intoxicating liquor" The penalty is
fine of from ten to forty dollars, as the
chief judging shall say. The last provision
| of the law is that call foreign residents
and all vessels calling here notified that to give
sell liquor to any native foreigners are not pro
hibited from buying liquor shall subject the Of
fender TO a fine of $40. In case of refusal to pay
the penalty the offenders trading stations, or
vessels, shall be tabooed."
In this connection it is worthy of notice that the
Hawaiian Legislature, in repeating two years ago
, the wise restrictions of the Kamehamehas, should
; have shown themselves less enlightened, or less
patriotic, this question of prohibition than the
Marshall Island Chiefs who say IN their preamble,
that since the use of Intoxicating liquors tends to
the 'mpoverishment and ruin of the people, there
fore, as matter of self-preservatiOn, to protect
ourselves from this curse we enact this prohibit
| DRY law. Even under the present administration,
while the free and sale of liquor has produced
such sad results in the last two years, the rapid
decrease and the deepening degradation of the
| Hawaiian population, some of the sugar planta-
tons have enforced a prohlbitory law OF their
, own, not allowing liquor to be used or sold on
their land, or even landed on their wharves. Why
cannot these Marshall Islanders be allowed to buy
what they please and of whom they pease2
Honolulu. May 3, 1886. G. M. HYDE.