Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-20
GERMAN AGGRESSION.
Carrying Things with a Very
High Hand.
INSULTING THE AMERICAN FLAG.
Treating the Representatives, OF
Other Nations with Contempt
Story of the Fighting.

Other Nations with Contempt
Story of the Fighting.
Associated Press DISPATCHES TO the HERALD.
APIA, Samoa, January ia most
serious state OF affairs exists in Samoa.
On the night of December 18th, sailors
from the German men-of-war Adler,
Olga and Eber, attacked Mataafa's
soldiers under direction of the German
Consul and Capt. Fritz, senior Naval
officer in the port. AS the result Of the
encounter twenty-five German soldiers
weren killed and thirty-two wounded.
Since the German war ships have burned
American houses and flags, torn down
the United States flags, seized American
citizens in the neutral waters Of Apia
harbor and taken them prison
war and fired upon the Ameri-
can aag. King Mataafa's party
who had been fighting almost constantly
since the battle at Lantuanoa, killing
and wounding many OF Tamasese's men,
to obtain twenty Thousand Snider
cartridges, mortgaging their lands to
paw for the ammunition. Tamasese's
men we're reported becoming more dis
satisfied daily and desertion from his
ranks became very frequent, several
villages leaving his party in body and
going to their homes. A detachment of
Mstaafa's were successful in carrying
the upper end OF Tamasese's big fort at
Lantuan oa on December 18th. On the
same day the German man-of-war Olga
arrived from Marshall Island. The
boat had on board the deposed
King Malietoa, whom the Germans
had decided to bring back from
Africa where he had been taken.
Malietoa had been left at Marshall Island,
not having been brought back to Samoa
On the night OF December 10Th. a large
party of German sailors, numbering $780,,
came ashore at Apia and entered stores,
saloons and native houses in search OF
Americans, Englishmen and hali-castes.
They entered the residence OF Geo. Scan
Ian, United States Marshal in Apia. He
was not in, but the sailors found him and
his brother. Morris, and Snyder, also an
American citizen, further up the street,
and star ting quarrel, stabbed both OF
the Americans in the back. The Scanlans
escaped to to the native church, where
their wounds were dressed and found not
to be fatal. The German sailors
ran through the streets attacking
all persons they met except Germans and
the adherents of Tamasese, and among
the mum Der injured were native women
and children. Some of Mataafe's soldiers
came in from the bush and were anxious
to begin shooting, but were urged by
limited States Consul Blackjack not to
fire.
On December 18th the United States
Consul sent protest to the German Con-
sui asserting that the conduct of the Ger
mans had been outrageous and had placed
American lives and property in great
jeopardy.
On December 18th Mataafa's men
learned through soma native women in
Apia that the Germans would attack the
town named Matafazatele during the
night and before evening two hundred
men had assem- bled along the shore
and concealed themselves in the
bush awaiting the Germans. The
American newspaper man, John c..
Klein accompanied the natives to wit
ness the proceedings. At o'clock in
the morning three boat-loads of sailors
from the German men-of-war approached
the shore. and at the request of the
natives, Klein asked the Germans not to
land. The boats then separated. Two
pulled out toward the sea, and the third
pulled along the shore distance of two
miles, the natives following its move
ments all the time. The crew finally
lett the boat and commenced to wade
ashore, at the same time shooting at
Metaafa's men. The natives did not re-
turn the fire. The Germans were soon
landed aud took shelter behind some
rising ground, and at once opened fire
on Metaafa's men. Within minute
fully 200 shots had been fired by the
Germans and black laborers, natives of
the other islands, who were employed on
the German plantations. In the mean
time, Mataafa's reinforcements began to
arrive from Matafazatele, and as they
came up heavy volley-fring could be
heard from the direction of Vaiele, and in
q few minutes a chief arrived and said
the Germans were firing on Mataafe's
men there, who were afraid to return the
fire, although the Germans had already
killed Savaii Chief and his son.
The chief who came as a messenger
asked Klein if they would be justified in
returning the fire of the Germans, but be
declined to advise them, but at the re-
quest of high chief, accompanied the
latter to Apia to obtain the opinion OF
the United States Vice. Consul, but
the Consul also refused to give any
advice. Shortly afterwards natives
came into Apia from Faseli and Vailele,
saying that Mataafas men had driven
the German sailors from their breast
works on the shore of the former place.
The black laborers had run into the
bush and refused to fight longer. The
Germans had run along the beach to
Vailele at such a rapid rate that the
native soldiers could not overtake them.
At Vailele there were about $50 sailors,
one boat having been landed there during
the night by the German man-of-war
Eber. At Vailele the sailors who had
fled from Fageli joined their comrades
who had been left in the two other boats
and also the sailors from the Eber. They
formed hollow square and began shoot
ing at Mataafa's men. Soon after two OF
the latter had been killed they began to
return the fire. The native soldiers be-
gan to increase in number, attracted by
the firing, and shot from behind trees
and from the bush. The soldiers be-