Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-02
ISLANDS OF SAMOA.
Characteristics of the People-An Intelligent
and Amiable Race Whose Interests are
Threatened With Ruin.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
The Samoan or Navigators group of
islands is in the South Pacific Ocean, in
latitude fourteen degre es south and lon
gitude 172 degrees west, and lie directly
west Of the coast of Peru. They have an
area of 1850 square miles and popula-
ton approximating 80 GOO, not including
the 1aborers introduced from other islands
to cultivate cotton and cocoanut.
The native Samoan is tall, inclined TO
be robust, and of bright copper color,
more pleasing than the duh tint of the
Sandwich Islander His strength Is stu
pendous, and his endurance a marvel,
only equaled by his chiYalrous bearing
toward those to whom he is opposed
either in battle or native sports So
chivalrous are they that when two armies
are opposed an attack is never made
without first notifying the other side, to
allow the women and children to be re-
moved to place of security. If the
party notified be not ready for the attack
information TO that effect causes post
ponement to another designated time
When the battle commences it is bloody
one, and noted for many feats Of personal
bravery.
THE WOMEN OF SAMOA.
The women are of medium height, with
finely formed limbs and plump in figure,
and manv have beautiful faces. The
eyes are the attractive features, being
dark and soft, with unusually long,
dropping lashes, combined with pleasing
smiles which greet the stranger on every
side, and impress him at once with their
amiability and kindly feeling. Virtue
and industry are their teaching, and, in
fact, the greatest of all ceremonies is the
courtship and wedding.
THE GOVERNMENT.
The social relations of the islanders are
marked i'll the different castles. Each
village has chief who governs by right
of birth, his ancestors having lived in the
village for hund reds of years,
occupying the same house, or at
least the same frame of the house-the
central frame supports being an heirloom
of many hundred years back. The ISL
ands are governed by king and two
assemblies, called q fono, - q kind of
upper and lower house; the members of
these two bodies representing villages and
localities all over the islands. Their ora
tory is very effective and full of grace,
combining an earnestness and gravity
peculiar only to these people. Malietoa,
the rightful king, who was enticed on
board of q German man-of-war and is
now prisoner in Germany, is an old
man of seventy eight, and his next Of
kin is carrying on the war against Ia
masese, who is in open rebellion at the
instigation of the Germans.
CAUSES OF THE WAR.
About the year 1880 a United States
man-Of-war visited Samoa and found the
country convulsed in war. The pre-
tender, Tamasese, was in open rebellion
against the rightful king, Maliet0a, as
sisted by the German influence in Samoa
and backed up by German man-of-war.
The real object of the Germans doing
business on the islands in instigating war
is the opportunity offered to trade arms
for land. AS the war progresses the ma
tive is forced to part with his land for
arms and ammunition, all of inferior
type, at immense prices. In this way
the German business houses have ao-
quired great tracts of land throughout |
the islands. This is the reason, pure and |
simple, why there is any war or strife in
the land. The natives are not war-like |
by nature, but rather mild-mannered, |
full of sympathy and averse to blood |
shed, in fact murders are almost I'M |
known among them.
THE GERMAN. PRoTECTORATE.
But short time ago the German resi-
dents were opposed TO the islands passing |
under the proteetorate of Germany or |
any other country, because with it would
follow customs, taxes and a cessation of |
hOstilities, consequently a loss of trade in
and arms; but having strip /
ped the natives of their best land and in
Cured the i'll viii of all the other foreign
snT1x A 4,
German protectorate as the
only means of holding their ill-gotten
The German protectorate
scheme under their influence would soon
come to a focus, which means the utter
of the natives and the total
Of the islands.
Humanity would suggest the interior
ence of our government, when but
word from us viii stay the destruction of
good people whose loyalty and friendship
for the United States are formed from
their earliest teachings. To us they look
for protection, and so great is their conf
dence that our men-of-war are ha led
with delight and the influence of an
American captain is scarcely second to
that of the king.
THE AMERICAN POLICY.
The reason for this is obvious. The
history of the Sandwich Islands is well
known, not only in the Samoan group,
but throughout the South Sea Islands.
The policy of the United States with the
Sandwich Islands was hands off
TO all European nations, and TO allow
the natives TO form government of
their own The policy was dictated by
and justice to the owners of
land and moral influence was all that was
necessary to accomplish this end. The
United States then practically guaranteed
similar protection for the other impor-
tant islands of the Pacific, and, with this
precedent it requires but n word of Wig
Jrous protest to indicate our wishes, and
the people are left unmolested.
As before stated, the American influ-
ance predominates throughout al the is
nralls lael.alls of thu narlin1, tra.ltI1,a1lt of