Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-30
THE STORY OF SAMOA.
Discussing the Complications
 in the Senate.
WHAT ALL THIS ROW IS ABOUT.

-
 stoned Review of Events.
 WASHINGTON. Jan. 50-The senate con- tinued the consideration of the consular and diplomatic appropriation bin. The Samoan question was incidentally discussed.
 Consideration of the diplomatic bill was resumed at the close of the morning hour, the question being on Mir. Gibson's amendment to make the title of minister to France, Ger many, Great Britan and Russia 'ambassa- dors." After long discussion the amendment was adopted, and the senate went into execu- tion to decide whether the discussion of the Samoan question should be public. It was so decided by a close vote, but not party vote.
 When the deors were reopened Mir. Sherman said the question involved was exciting attention not only in this country, but in other countries, and it was due to the senate and to the people of the United States that he hs he had reported the amendment from the committee on foreign rclations) should state, ill rather skeleton manner, the facts ill re- gard to tine matter. He would do so without any feeling whatever, because he hoped that the senate would be unanimous in the adop- ton of the amendment. The Samoan Islands formerly called the Navigators' Islands, were he said almost midway between San Francisco and Australia and were in the di- rect line of commercial intercourse. These islands eight or tenl comprised in extent some thousand square miles, and contained popu- lation of 324, 900 innocent, harmless, tracta- ble, good humored people of the Polynesian race and about 800 foregners-German, En- glish and Amaican-with various commer- cial establishments.
 Those islands lad been first explored and surveyed by Admiral Wilkes, in his famous expedition, and the best maps of them were those made by that expedition. The attention of the United States had been early called to these islands, and a special agent was sent there, who afterward became minister to the king of Samoa, and who made a treaty be tween the United States and Samoa. That treaty made in 1878, and was signed by Mir. Evarts and the king. It's second article gave to the United States the privilege of entering and using the harbor of Pango- Pango and establishing there a coaling and naval supply station; and its fifth section pro- vided that in case of differences with other nations the United States would employ its good offices in adjusting such differences.
 This the basis of the right of the United States to occupy and hold, and to es- tablish in the harbor of Pango-Fangoa station for coal and other naval supplies. Within a year two afterward somewhat similar treaties had been made with Germany and with Great Britain by which those govern ments obtained like privileges in other DOT tions of the islands, so that each of these three great commercial nations secured by treaty privileges somewhat similar in charac- ter, but in different locahties-each securing a coaling station and harbor.
 Mir Sherman went on to speak of further. of of1 nd which was, he said, very important. It had been entered into between Great Britain and the government of the Samoas (but tine Ger man and American governments were alsa included in it), by which the town and dis trict of Apia were constituted into a nunici- pality and were declared to be neutral terri tory, where each of tho three nations might establish their storehousos, their workshops and all other buildings nOc,:S.slty for carrying their traffic in those ios>l,is This territory of Apia was NOW known the capital of the Samoan Islands, and was set asi,le for com mercial purposes, the governments of Samoa being practically excluded from it.
 The municipal board consisted of the Ger man, English and American eonsuls. This treaty or agreement had not been submitted to the senate, but had been signed by the English consul and by the captain of the American ship of war Lackawanna. It had been acted upon by ah three nations as in the nature of an agreement for the pos session and occupancy of that neutral terri tory. Mir. Sherman next referred to the treaty of April 6, 1SS6, between Germany and Great Britain, by which a sort of delimita- | ton was established for the jurisdiction of | each government in the Poynesian group, | with disclaimer that this partition should | apply to tue Samoan Islands. That was the | legal status to-day, for no other arrange | mont or agreement had ever been made in a | formal way that effected in any degree the | rights of the several parties. lie did not in l tend to go into detailed history of events iI Samoa. It was enough to Say that there wa. always sort of quasi war existing there be | tween several branches of the people. 1t was | a strange government, controlled largely by | family ties, somewhat alistocratic, with con- | tentions always existing between the vnrioll. | chiefs. Ee would not dwell upon the painful
 features of that civil war; but it seemed tc 1 be the general opinion of all the American 1 consular agents who had been sent there t, l examine into the nature Of their government
 that the people were totally unit to conduct | a regular formal government. But that civi
 war had continued until, finally, in 1888, by | the aid of the consiIls, it was settled by al l agreement that Malictoa should be king anc
 Tamasese vice king. Soon after that settle
 ment other difficulties had arisen, and z | movement had been made to annex the
 Samoan Islands to New Zealand, Malietos
 sending an humble appeal to Queen Victoria l asking for such anlrexation. The German 1 government, however, had remonstrated il
 the most vigorous manner against it, insist | iAg that it would be violation of the treaty
 He spoke of the treaty made with Malietos
 by the German consul on Nov. 10, 1ss. Shortly after the kings piteous proposal tt
 Queen Victoria), and said that this treaty
 was at first approved by the German govern
 ment, but afterwards repudiated on the re
 fusal of the American and English govern
 ments to acquiesce in it, as it practically
 made Germany supreme over the islands ant
 established a German council or board of con
 tlol to govern them Finally MT. Sherman
 brought the history of events to the confer ence in Washington between Mir. Bayard ant
 the British and German minister, and to tn sending by each of them of an agent to th | islands to obtain further information. H
 said that it was manifest that the rebellion 0
 Tamasese had been organized by the German cOnSul and hy German named Weber. wh,