The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-05
THE SAMOAN QUESTION.
By LIEUT.. JAMES c. cRrsar. T.. $. NAVY.
CONCLUDED

+
his land courts, arrived and soon
/ succeeded to the Office Of consul
/ general During his term, German
( claims were prosecuted with great
/ vigor and success and, notwithstand-
/ ing the fact that the three Powers
had renewed the existing treaty
! (Convention), the government of
Malietoa Laupepa was belittled and
ignored. The moral support Of the
other cOnsuls went far to sustain the
King and it was always by peaceable
councils-far too peaceable-that he
submitted to German oppression,
and that he refrained from crushing
the rebellion Of Tamasese which soon
followed.
The helplessness of Laupepa was
further evinced by his efforts to Sc
cure aid, protection, annexation
anything, from the British and
American Governments. The Issue,
too, might have been avoided if his
! government had been stronger, but
he lacked the power both to prevent
! depredatiOns committed by his peO-
pie on German plantations, and to
! punish offenders. This led to an
! agreement by which Weber's strong
house became the national jail, but
| the victims of German vengeance
| not justice-cOntiuued to suffer or to
escape, either of which melted fresh
| Outrages.
Threats Of the German officials
soon took shape. In October, 1884,
a feet arrived the King was made
to humble himself by apologies to
the naughty consul. Under stress
! he signed a treaty, and immediately
repudiated it, for only week pre-
viously, he had a second time soil
cited annexation to Great Britain.
Upon this, the British and American
Consuls charged the German Consul
General with openly scheming to
overthrow the government, but as an
| answer this official evicted the King
from Mulinuu, took possession of
the land and hOisted there the Ger
man Imperial flag. This flag was
put there ''to attach the rights Of
sovereignty of King Malietoa," but
in effect it was to depOse him. and
for sixteen months, it waved defiance
to American friendship for Samoa
and autonomy. AS for England, she
was passive under German assur
ances and her sanction was made
apparent by the absence of her war
vessels and by the restraint of her
consular representative. Perhaps
her interests in Tonga or elsewhere
depended upon this discretion.
One more indignity was the little
nation yet to suffer. In January,
1885, the municipal board held a
meeting for the purpose Of prOvid-
ing for the safety of life and prop
erty within the city. Fighting was
! imminent, for Tamasese's following
had spread over the whole group
and included fifteen thousand peo-
ple-two-tifths of the whole pOpula
ton 1t was the custom 10 fly the
! Samoan flag over the building when
! the board was in session, but in this
case no sooner was the flag hOisted
than it was torn down and destroyed
by German force From that time
the Germans assumed practical con-
troll of affairs, in spite Of the re-
| peated protests of the American
! Consul. simultaneously, Tamasese
was proclaimed King by his adher-
ents and was duly recognized by the
German agents, while the other con
suls proclaimed their unwavering
recognition of MaEetoa Laupepa.
In May, 1886, the German feet
under Admiral KnOrr arrived at
Apia, with a feet of three vessels and
a force of 1,200 men. He rebuffed
MalietOa when the latter sued for
hearing and, together with Consul
StuebeI, charged the poor King with
having broken his treaty and with
having insulted Germany. Proceed
ing along the coast, the admiral dis
played his force, and by speeches
and demonstrations gave every en-
cOuragement to Tamasese, who was
now strongly intrenched in his fort
at Saluafata, about ten miles west Of
Apia.
One resource was left to the
afflicted King, an appeal to the
United States Consul. This resulted |
in the action of Consul Greenebaum, |
who, on the 18th of May, 1886, hOisted !
the American flag over that of Samoa |
and issued his famous Proclamation !
OF Protection. Baffled at every point, |
the German admiral hastily with
drew.
Taking heart, Malietoa now de-
termined to attack the rebels. The /
Mohican, with Consuls Powell and |
GreenebaUm, who We're in the secret.
proceeded to Saluafata. At the crit
zeal moment, the German Consul /
appeared in boat (he had been left
behind Intentionally and forestalled
proceedings, since, IN his presence.
no one dared give the word to begin
the attack.
In May, of this year, the Imperial
flag that had been floating over Null
inuu Point for sixteen months was
hauled down, perhaps to conciliate,
but the Germans maintained their
attitude and their vigorous policy.
In July and August the three com
missioners arrived. Mr.. George H.
Bates, on the part of the United
States, Mr. Travers for Germany
and Mr.. Thurston, Governor of FIJI,
for Great Britain. Their reports
brOuUht abO1t the cODfpraDca at