Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-01-25
THE GERMAN H0STlLITlES IN
SAMOA.

The latest news from Samoa was
foreshadowed by the official dis
patches published IN The SIM on
Thursday last. II is evident that
the German consul and the seuior
German naval officer at Apia, are
carrying matters with high hand,
and while processing to desire the
restoration OF peace between the
native belhgereuts, Mataafa and
T asese, 10y throwing their
weight into the scale in favor OF
Tamasese, who WAS set NJ AS King
on the deposition Of MalietOa, are
not only making peace impossible,
but haye brought themselves into
conflict with British and American
interests. 1t was the outrage done
to the Samoans by the seizure OF
MalietOa and sending him = prs
oner to Africa, on the ground that
he was inlmical 10 German inter
ests, that caused the SamOans to
revolt against Tamasese and
ranging themselves under the lead
efship of Mstaafa, begin the civil
war. In this war the German ma
val forces have taken part under
the plea of protecting the German
cOanut plantations, some OF
winch are near Apia and others on
the north side of the island, the
total area under cultivation by
German planters being estimated
in the last consular report at nine
thousand two hundred and sixty
acres and the total annual product
of the dried meat OF the nut at be-
tween five hundred and six hun
dred tons. Thus far, according to
the reports that have reached us,
the Germans, in their naval raids
upon the outlying Samoan villages,
have met with nothing but disaster
wherever they have encountered
the SamOans under Mataafa, and
at two pOluts on the coast suffered
a loss of twenty-five sailors killed
and thirty-twO wounded. Among
the killed was Lieutenant Sieger,
of the German gunboat Olga. Two
other naval officers were wounded.
1t was to ayenge this defeat, and
ostensibly to disarm the forces of
Mataafa and TamaSese that the
Germ an squadron, in spite Of the
protests of the American consul,
proceeded TO lombard the Samoan
village of Lady, which the people,
warned in time, had abandoned.
Under cover Of the bombardment
a party of sailors was landed and
burned the village, including two
small Roman Catholic churches y
summons to Mataata and his peO-
pie to come on board German
man.Of-war and give mp their guns
was met with the reply that "the
Samoans intended to fight for their
liberty, and would fight whoever
attacked them" 1t is said that
Mataafa was ready to meet the
German consul in the presence Of
the British and United States con
suls, but to that proposition the
German consul would not agree.
Finding that Mataafa's poop e
would not surrender their guns,
even under the threat of having
their village burned, he proceeded
to order tie bOmbardmcut first Of
Lady and next Of Matataagatele,
where a former vice consul OF the
United States owned three houses,
over one of which the American
flag had been placed The Amer
lean consul stated this circum.
stance aud made a protest, which
was unherded. The village vas
bombarded and burned, together
with the houses OF the American
citizen, and the flag torn down,
fragments of which were delivered
to Consul Blackjack and forwarded
to Secretary Bayard. Beside <
these high.handed measures, Ger.
man sailors ashore at Apia are ac-
cused OF quarreling with, assault
ing and wouuding Two Americans
by stabbing them in the back.
Other excuses are also imputed to
them. Since the burning Of the
aforementioned village matters ap.
pear % have quisted, but the fact
that American citizens were seized
aud carried on board a German war
ship IS undoubtedly true, as Secre-
tary BayaId states they have since
been released. Negotiations 1t
appears, are now pending TO put
an cod to these troubles by the in
terventiOn az the three powers on
the basis of respect for the right of
the citizens OF either power, and
the autonomy and independence OF
the people OF Samoa as guaranteed
by the treaties entered into with
them. At present We have only
the Nipsic IN Samoan waters, but
Secretary Whitney has ordered
three additional Sunboats to pro.
coed there TO rcinlo ce the Nlpsic.
The Germans have brought back
MdlictOa from bis African prison,
but have lodged him for the pres.
cut under saie.keepiug on one Of
the nelghboring islands. II is
possible that the restoration of his
king,hip under the protection Of
the three powers may be the result.
In that event the paciiicati0n OF
Samoa seems likely. But the very
act Of restoring him is a cOndcmna
ton OF the German Outrages, and
for those by which Americans have
been affected they ought in any
event to be held to strict account
baltimore SIN.
For a Harrison and Harmony
Cabinet.