Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-30

ing point for this commerce. Hence,
particularly. their Importance to the Pa
cifc coast.
The action Of Germany, assuming that
it ends in her Obtaining possession OF
the Samoan islands, will inevitably have
an effect upon the future Of the Hawaii
an islands.
Under the treaty between the United
States and Samoa, concluded January IL.
1878, perpetual peace and friendship be-
tween the two governments were declar-
ed, naval vessels Of the United States
were given permission to enter and use
one Of tLe ports Of the island as a sta
ton for coal and naval supplies, and 1t
was furthermore provided in article 5,
that IF unhappily any difference should
have arisen, or shall hereafter arise, be-
tween the Samoan government and any
other government in amity with the
United States, the government of the
latter will employ its good offices for the
purpose of adjusting those differences
upon a satisfactory and solid fouoda-
tiOn."
The treaty between Germany and Sa-
moa signed in January, 1879, accorded
10 the German people substantially the
same rights and privileges that had
been accorded the Americans, and the
treaty of August %, 1879, between Great
Britain and Samoa. gives the English, as
had been previously given the Americans
and the Germans, the right of trade and
the establishment Of a suitable naval
station and coaling depot. The one dis
tinction between the American treaty
and that of the other two countries is
the clause quoted above, by which the
United States promises to use its good
offices in defense of Samoa. In Septem-
Der, 1879, a convention between Great
Britain, Germany and the United States
and the king and government of Samoa
for the government of the town and dis
trict Of Apia was signed, according to
the representatives Of the different gov
ernments, equal rights and dEties in the
municipal control of that port. In the
delimitation treaty signed by Germany
and Great Britain in April, 1886, Germany
and England both pledged themselves
not to attempt to extend their colonial
system over 'the Navigator (Samoan)
islands, with which Germany, Great
Britain and the United States have con-
cluded friendly treaties, nor the Friendly
Tonga) islands, with which Germany
and Great Britain have concluded treat
les, nor the Nine islands, which groups
shall in future. as heretofore, form a
neutral territory, nor any islands or
places i'm the West Pacific ocean that are
now under the sovereignty or protection
of any civilized power other than Ger
many or Great Britain"
The present government of Samoa was
established in 1875. 1t is a constitutional
monarchy, and its legislature is modelled
after that of the United States. Colonel
Steinberger, a special agent of the United
States, was King Mailetoa's first prime
minister when he took the throne, but
his influence as an American excited the
jealousy Of other nationalities, and in
February, 1876, S%teinberger, the premier,
was arrested at night, carried forcibly On
board a British man-of-war, and after
being kept prisoner there for some time,
was taken from Samoa to the British
colony of Fiji. After this, had it not been
for the presence and interference Of the
American consul, Samoa would probably
have become either an English or Ger
man colony, for the agent OF q state
department sent out to examine the sit
uation reported that "rebellian could
have been prevented or nipped in the bud
IL it had been discountenanced by the
three foreign %consuls, instead of having
been supported, both active and morally,
by the interference Of foreigners"
In November, 1884, DIR. Steubel, the Con-
sul-General Of Germany, melted a native
chief to rebel by visiting his camp ac-
c)mpanied by the admiral Of the German
squadron. The Germans insisted on Op-
position to the protests Of the King and
the American Consul in raising the Ger
man flag at Apia, and then in pulling
down the Samoan flag from the staff
near the Kings residence. MIR. Green
baum, the American Consul, felt justified,
under article five Of our treaty with Sa-
moa, in temporarily declaring the islands
under the protection of the United States,
and raising the Samoan flag with the
American flag above it. This stopped
the German aggressions, but the action
Of Consul Greenbaum was declared unau-
thorized by Secretary Bayard, and he was
recalled. although his action probably
prevented the loss of Samoa.
Malietoa in September, 1887, surrender
ed to the Germans, who at once pro- |
claimed the rebel, Tamasese, king by
German authorization. ALI the satisfac- |
tion our government has obtained from
Germany has been al insolent demand
from Prince Bismarck why it is that
representatives at Samoa are
continually attempting to thwart Ger
man undertakings"
1T STILL looks stormy around Samoa.