The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-21
What Sunday Nights Dispatches
Have to Say About Affairs
at Apla.
Mataata Secure In HIS Strong
hold-The Germans Inactive.
No Americans Blown Up.

| maintained state or inactivity. Ihls
condition of affairs dates back to the ar
rival of the steamer Waimi with dis
patches for the German consul on Janu-
airy 20, and is no doubt the result of or
ders then received.
The declaration of state of war in the
Samoan islands seems to have become a
dead letter, while the military occupation
of Apia, which the declaration of martial
law would seem to have implied, has no
existence save the maintenance of strong
guard at the German consulate. A
guard is still kept at the American and
English consulates. In view of the
fact that there has been no Off
cial retraction of the declarations
and of numerous proclamations which the
town was flooded with, and consequently
no settlement of the matter at issue, the
German consul has made repeated over
lures to Mataafa looking toward the ad-
justment of the quarrel and the conclusion
of the terms of peace, but the terms pro-
posed always embodied strong German
interest in the future administration of af-
fairs, to which Mataafa declares he shall
tions have, therefore, been of no avail, and
German officials occupy the unenviable
position of men who have deeply compro-
missed themselves without getting their
way to retreat consistent with the pre-
servation of their dignity. Mataafa, in
the midst of his warriors, rests secure in
his intrenched camp and awaits the ar
rival of Admiral Kimberly, having full
faith in the support of the United States
His picket lines extend down the coast for
a distance of five miles, close espionage
being maintained on the road leading from
from Apia to Laulay and Lulutui. Ia
masese, with his forces now reduced by
deserters to about 600 warriors, still occu-
pies the large fort at Lulutui. A great
number of his former adherents have
Joined the standard of Mataafa, or, grown
weary of war, have returned to their own
districts.
There has been no collision between the
opposing forces for long time. On Feb
ruary 8 a small detached party of Malie-
toa's men, which was accommodating in the
vicinity of the forts, fell in with a forag-
ing party of the enemy and succeeded in
killing one of Tamasese's great leaders
and staunchest supporters, one Solofuti, a
ruler from Matauta, in Savay.
On February 2 B. M. Kane arrived from
New Zealand to relieve Captain Hand, and
the latter sailed for Auckland on the 4th
instant. This change has been asource of
untold satisfa otion to English residents in
Samoa as we'll as to their consular repre-
sentative. The censure showered upon Gap.
tain Hand by the colonists simply voices
the indignant feeling of his countrymen in
Samoa, whose interests he looked after in a
dilatory and lukeWarm manner, and whose
property he renowned himself without
authority to protect. There can be no
doubt that the cordial feelings and amity
of purpose which characterized the rela-
tions between his predecessor, Commander
Fell, of the Wizard, and her najesty's
consul, had no existence in the case of
Captain Hand. Early in the month
Captain Fritze made known the fact
that the consular courts of the Amer
lean and English we're considered by
him as open for the hearing of causes.
The revival of the suppressed paper has
called for no comment from Doctor
Knapp, German consul, which evinced a
far oalmer frame of mind than that dis
played in his dictatorial actions of three
weeks ago. On February 8 the steamer
Labeck left this port for Sydney, carrying
with her Prandier, the ex-German artillery
officer and premier of Tamasese, who has
for 30 long time been the bone of con-
tention in Samoa, and who has done
much to precipitate the present crisis. 1t
is rumored that he has been ordered
home to explain his conduct in Samoan
affairs to the government at Ber-
lin. On February IL the Ger
man msn-of-war Eber, which had been sent
to Auckland ostensibly to communicate
with Berlin, returned to this port. Her
arrival and dispatches which she undoubt-
eddy brought (the tenor of which is I'M
known) have in no wise changed the con-
dition of affairs. Whether the German
government will endeavor to maintain the
position taken by its officials here, or
whether it has issued instructions to con-
cur in such ultimate settlement as Ad-
miral Kimberly may propose, is mere
matter of conjecture, despite its
proclamation of martial law re
serving to himself, however, the admin
istration of the police under the regular
ones of January Is, 1888. Thus, by &C.
knowlsdging the ability of these courts to
perform their civil functions undisturbed,
virtually abrogates the necessity for the es-
Enlistment Of martial law, and gives q
rather farc'c Il a5ptc to thai arbitrary act
on the part of the German commander
Another fact proving that Germany rec.
ognizes their original stand to be untena.
BILE is found in the reissue of the Samoan
Times, newspaper which was suspended
by the German consul as a dangerous or.
gan.
1t is known that early in the present
month the United States ships Trenton
and Vandalis had been ordered to Samoa
and perhaps sailed in obedience to theiI
instructions. The Vandalia arrived on the
evening of February %. The arrival oil
the large ship Trenton was anxiously
awaited, as it was hoped that Admiral Kim
berly's instructions will empower him tC
speedily terminate the uncertainty as to the
outcome of the present struggle. Mataaft
is firm in his belief of ultimately receiv
ing the support of the United States gov
eminent, and has reiterated his determine
ton to do nothing until the admirapi
arrival, fully approaching the fact that il