Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-03
GERMANY GOING TOO FAR.


The Position Taken by the Representative
9th Kali .er i'm Samoa sets Uncle sam
to Think ng it Time TO Infertere-"ar
| Ships Ordered There and some More Go
be Got in Readiness.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-When corre-
spondent called at the Navy Department.
| Wednesday, it was evident that there was
| something in the recent advlces received
| from the seat of war. at Samoa, that was
not looked upon with favor by our Gov
eminent. The officials, while very retl-
| cent on the subject, betrayed an amount
| of anxiety that plainly indicated that
something would be done, and that very
shortly The hurrying up OF the WORK on
the Vandalia and Mohican at the Mare
Island Navy-Yard, so that they viii De
able to leave that yard next week, In spite
of the reduced appropriation, was another
evidence that our Government contem-
plates taking action. 1t Is Well known
among navy people that the Dolphin, now
on her way around the world, has orders
to stop at Apia, and a cipher dispatch was
sent to her commanding officer on Nom
day at Acapulco, Mexico, where the ship
stOpped for coal, to proceed to Samoa
without delay. State Department. fnciais
are very reticent when approached Oh the
subject, but enough has been ascertalned
to warrant the opinion that PRESIDENT
Cleveland and his advisers think that
Germany is going trife too far. The
proclamation of the German Consul. in
structing all German citizens to pay their
taxes to him in trust for the Island OF
Samoa, instead of to the representative OF
the King of Samoa, would indicate that
the condition of affairs there was getting
to be serious matter.
It is we'll known that the German Gov.
eminent is q warm friend and protector
of Tamasese, the present King, whom
they installed. The revolution started
against him by Mataafa has been success
full to a certain extent, because the ma
jority of the natives have espoused the
cause of the latter. Tamasese has been
repeatedly defeated and lately was be-
sieged at Atua by the revolutionary forces.
The German Consul ordered Mataafa to
withdraw his army, but he refused to do
so. The sailors from the German gunboat
Eber and the corvette Olga inflicted all
the injury possible against adherents OF
Mataafa, so much so that Captain Leary,
of the United States steamer Adams, sent
a rather sharp note to the Consul, and IN
language rather pointed, indicated that he
would, in the name of the United States,
insist on the Germans withdrawing. For
time this declaration had the desired
effect, but, as stated above, the latest adj
vices are far from satisfactory. In 1874
the United States, through treaty with
Malietoa, then King, obtained possession
of Pungapang, upon which was estab-
lished a coaling station for our fleets, in
return for which we made certain prom
Uses of protection and friendship. AS
near as can be ascertained, the treaty or
understanding was all on our side. 1t
virtually did not oblige our Government
to protect the Samoans, but one of its pro-
&C., a11 So,,, 70 nrnta fIfI.
zens engaged in commerce on their
islands. OF course, the United States ac-
cepted the coaling statiOn-the finest on
the islands-and since that time have new
er been called upon to render any return
for this fine concession. The new King
who has routed Tamasese now wants our
aid to help him in establishing his king
dom.
The German forces installed King
Tamasese and appointed German his
Prime Minister. They arranged a pro-
gramme of head tax on the SamOans by
which the natives could not help buying
1t is said this company, which has made
all the fuss, has already acquired 10O,-
900 acres of the best lands Of Samoa,
and if their scheme is carried out they
will soon have the lands of at least twen-
ty thousand natives mortgaged and in a
fair way for foreclosure inside of three
years. It is against this terrible and I'M
just assumption that the new Malietoa
appeals to the United States on the
strength of the concession Of the Malietoa
of fifteen years ago. The resolution Of
Senator Frye which was introduced in
the Senate, was accompanied by speech
which showed cOnclusively that the alb
sorption of Samoa by the Germans was
question Of but a short time, and the
treatment of the American Consul and
the American citizens was an outrage and
insult. At that time but little attention
was paid to the affair, as it was well
known that Senator Frye was very bitter
in his denunciation of the administration
Of the State Department. and it was
thought his antagonism was prompted by
other motives. 1t now transpires that the
is slowly awakening to the
fact that it is about time to do something.
The conference of 1887 between Germany,
England and the United States, when
Secretary Bayard firmly refused to accede
to the request of the German Government
to occupy the islands, was the last step
taken by us. But Germany has practical
~ occupied the place and does so to- day.
The Adams and Nipsic are already there,
and upon the arrival of the Dolphin, Van
1aliG and Mohican, we will have fleet of
i've ships in Samoan waters inside of the
next few weeks. Should the emergency
arise requiring more force, the Trenton,
one Of the best vessels in our service, now
1T Panama, will be dispatched. 1t is GER
tain that within the next two or three DAYS
our Government will take some decided
action, but just exactly what can not be