Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-18
AFFAIRS AT SAMOA.
WHAT A RESIDENT OF SAN FRAN
CISCO KNOWS ABOUT 1T.
The Uniform High Handed Methods
OF the Germans in Trying to
Possess the Islands.
Is. F. Chronicle, January 18th. !

Is. F. Chronicle, January 18th.
F. Steinhof, an American citizen, and at
present resident of this city, was book
keeper in the German firm which has
caused all the trouble, and later held the
position of Secretary to Mr.. Sewall, the
American Consul at Apia, until May, 1888,
when he left Samoa for this city Before
leaving he wrote the dispatches now before
Congress, and as the American and Eng
fish Consuls are opposed to the German
firm, and through them to the actions of
the German Consul, he has had peculiar
advantages in observing both sides. The
story as told by Mr.. Steinhof to reporter
of the Chronicle last evening is as follows
Prior to the arrangement entered into
between Germany, England and the United
States, to maintain the autonomy of Sa-
moa, the Germans had monopoly of the
trade. King Malietoa granted TO all the
foreign houses the same privileges, and
in so doing broke the German mo-
nopoly. The principal business of the
island Is in copra, or dried cocoanut,
from which cocoanut oil is made. During
the German monopoly the natives received
from tie Germans only about | cent
pound for the copra, but competition from
the English and the American houses
raised the price of copra, reduced the prof
its of the Germans and broke the monop-
oily. When the French house of Georges
c. Godeffroy failed in 1879 the Samoan
business of the firm was taken up by
number of Hamburg merchants, who
formed the Deutsches Handles und Plan
tagen Gesellschaft. So long as the mo-
nopoly continued the company did well,
and numbers still among its shareholders
The three-cornered agreement broke down
the business and the great company lost
money. In 1886 it ran behind $4,000, as
shown by its statement, and as another
local merchant stated to the same reporter
yesterday, it has lost money ever since,
and has published no statement of its
affairs for either 1887 or 1888. The bust
ness troubles Of this company are at the
root of all the present disturbance and
Mr.. Steinhof, in so stating, presented a
succinct story in its support.
Malietoa, the King of Samoa was for a
long time thorn in the side of the Ger
mans, and they tried all they could to
make him restrict the privileges granted to
the American and English business houses,
but failed. The next step of the German
Gesellschaft was to have Bismarck annex
the islands; but Just then his colonization
experiences off the coast of Africa were
under way, and he had his hands too full.
The first sign Of anything like breach of
| the agreement was made on January %,
1885, when the German flag was hoisted
on a section of land bought from Malietoa
and converted into fortress by the Ger
mans from one of the plantations. The
German warship Albatross supplied the
| flag, and her presence countenanced the
action of the Gesellschaft, there being no
| other man-of-war then present to in
| terfere. Tamasese, relative of the
King, and ostensibly at peace with,
though a former rebel against him,
was next pressed into service. Up
wards of $4,000 worth of rifles were
sold to him by the German company in
direct breach, not only of the agreement,
but Of German law. As Tamasese could
not pay for the rifles, the Germans called
on Malietoa to sign the mortgage and, in
| fact, become responsible for the payment.
Strange IS this seems, it was only part of a
system practiced by the Germans of levy
ing taxes ON natives which they could not
pay, foreclosing on them and Selling their
cocoanut plantations In the same way
they tried to iDtimidate Malietoa into tax
ing up the mortgage, forclosing on him
and demanding as release the granting of
exclusive privileges to the Germans.
Malietoa, however, saw through the as
sumed friendship of Tamasese, as well as
the German trick, and faty refused to
have anything to do with him or the
mortgage on the rifles. The rifles, it may
be mentioned, are the same as those used
by Tamasese a short time ago during the
recent hostilities.
The next move of the Germans was
made in 1887. On March 22d of that year,
during the celebration of the Emperor
Williams birthday, drunken carpenter
had his nose broken by a native. This
was made by the Gesellschaft pretext for
alleging that the Emperor had been in
suited by Malietoa. Coupled with this,
the company alleged that at various times
for years past the natives had broken into
one or other of lis FIVE plantations and
had robbed the Germans of cocoanuts and
bananas and had done other damage For
none of these depredations were any dates
furnished, but the total damage was esti-
mated at $4,000. For the carpenters
broken nose bill of 81, 900 was presented
to Malietoa, and for the damage to the
plantations bill of $4,000, or $4,000 in
all. The King received the bill one day
in August, 1887, and asked time to consult
his Ministers and investigate the charges
made. The reply from the Germans was
that he could either pay the Sl3,000 or,
by granting to the Gesellschaft such rights
as would again secure to it monopoly of all
the business, wipe out the debt. Mailetoa
refused to entertain the latter proposition,
on account of the treaty granting to
Americans and Englishmen equal rights
with the Germans. The ultimatum of the
Germans was that the money must be
paid the next day at 10 o'clock. Being, of
course, unable to pay, Malietoa was seized
by the Germans and carried off to Africa,
thence to Bremen, and subsequently sent
IN the forecastle of the Albatross to Zanzi-
bar, where he now is. Meanwhile Tam
asese was declared King, and one Brand
ers, German artillery officer, who had to
stalled as Prime Minister to pull the
strings in the interests of the Gesellschaft.
The German Consul, said by Mr.. Steinhof
to be bought by the company, gave his
sanction to all which it did. The English
and the Americans, as well as some of the
independent Germans, refused to acknowl-
edge the rebel Tamasese, and issued
special notice to the natives announcing
the fact and advising them not to pay
taxes to him. Mataafa, "See-the-Fire,' a
relative of Malietoa, has been acknowl-
edged by the latter's former subjects and is
recognized now by the English and Ameri-
cans. Up to this point matters had pro-
gressed until May, 1883, since which time
the dispatches have brought the story of
the troubles in Samoa up to date.
As an instance Of the imperious WAYS of
the German company, Mr. Steinhof re-
lated the fact that there is pilot station
on Matoutu Point, the land of which be-
ionged to a former chief named Patiole,
who leased it for fifteen years to William
Coe, an American citizen. Coe sub-leased
it TO the tri-consular municipal govern
ment, and when Patiole died the German
company, in spite of the lease, seized the
land and improvemenfs hy force aliariuo