Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-01
WASN'T THERE TO LAY AROUND.
Commander Seavey, of the Z. S. s. Adams
Tells His samoan Experience

Commander Seavey, of the Z. S. 8. Adams,
Tells His Samoan Experience.
SAN Francisco, Cal, Feb. lin an inter
view yesterday Commander Seavey, of the
United States steamer Adams, which hiss ar
rived here from Samoa, said:
There was a great deal of connection
when / was at Apia- I went down there
with al kinds of orders suited to a time of
peace, but when war broke out l threw the
orders TO the wind. They would do in time
of peace, but were not applicable to the con-
dition of affairs that existed at that time
When l saw Brandeis, the German minister
lending 500 natives in support of Tamasese, ]
wrote him letter asking him to desist.
said: Il am here to protect American cti-
zens and American property, and l will not
wait idly by and see you plunging the coun-
try into trouble, when their lives and proper
ty may he destroyed. If you do not desist
shall take such measures to protect them as
deem the circumstances demand He sent
word back that no Americans nor American
property would be molested
"ln little while, though, much the same
tactics were repeated. There was meeting
of consuls aboard the German war-ship Adler
and mt the meeting / said to the Germans;
Now, just let the natives fight it out between
themselves Oh, no. They could not do tina,
They said they had proclaimed Tamasese king
and they could not leave him now to fight
alone. Then l said: Il will take a hand II
you persist in aiding Tamasese and fighting
for him, will participate and pulled the
Adams in ahead of the Adler, and would have
done my part in the fray IL the Germans had
decided they must have it i had made uI
my mind that the Adams could throw some
shells, too. At this they eased down, and
promised that it should be hands off.
"Next there were notices posted by the
Germans stating that the bridge over the
river at Apia and separating all the back
country where the natives were would be
taken up / tore these notices off. l said
there should be no demolition of bridges.
Then ordered my carpenters up the next
morning and meantime. word having got ont
all around, scores of natives came TO ald IN
repairing and maintaining the bridge. also
thew SOME marines ashore to protect 1T. 1t Is
not necessary to say that the bridge was not
destroyed The Adams left Samoa Dec Z,
and was not present during the recent battle
between the Germans and Mataafa's forces. !"
The Samoa Times, which, according to an
Auckland cablegram, has been suppressed by
the Germans, was published at Apia by an
English subject named Cusack, and its CON-
ments on the recent happenings, though ap-
parently fair to all parties, have reflected
rather disadvantageously on the German
operations. This probably accounts for the
suppression of the paper. In its account of
the recent battle, The Times stated that the
natives did not fire until the Germans had
fired "a number of shots
A correspondent at Apia says that on the
night of Dec. II number Of sailors from the
German man-of-war Olga went ashore and
searched for Cusack, who escaped by taking
refuge in the British consulate.
The Pacific coast papers generally call upon
congress to take decisive action for the pro
lection of American commercial interests ir
the south Pacific 1t is pointed out that
though Samoa in unimportant in itself, 9
strong station at Pago-Pago would protect
trade in the Mole south Pacific region.