The morning call., 1892-09-04
THE. TROUBLE IN POLYNESIA.


The work of picking up unconsid eIed
tribes in the Pacific Ocean is being prose-
cuted by the English, Germans and French
with assiduity.:; The latest prize is the island
F. of :Butaritari, the largest island of the Gil
bert group, whose monarch was lately in
this city seeking sympathy and aid In the
shape of an American pr6tectorate. Asthe
T United States is not in the business of
protecting strange islands his Majesty re-
turned home a-sadder and = wiser man, and
he had no sooner got home thansa British
:sliip-pf- war called at his leland home and
ending by hosting the union jack on his
flagstaff, IN token of British dominion. The
in yasion vas sought TO be justified on the
ground that ClfnAmap,Wh was. a British
subject. had been robbedef S630n the Island
of Bgtaritafl, the law in that: part of
the world. according to English antharltyt
being: that when anybody is robbed the
monarch is. bound 10 make it good. So our
poor friend Na1temate appears tDhaye. lost
lis money and his aominions together. and
the Peignesianpeople viii have to be careful
hereafter. when they reh anybody not to
choose a British subject. even if he be a
thinamsa. - ~ Hi: :.<:-:
I The Gilbert Islands area group Of coral
a;Olls lying across the equator, in the longi-
tnAe of the FIJI Islands. They. are all III
the shape of a ring. on which cocoan utatrees
grow in side the ring is a circular lake, which
sN arms WIFE fish, especially sharks: The
rings are narrow; Butaritari is some tiliF-
teen miles long by 500 yards wide. The length
being distributed along a circular strip
which incloses alagoon. A handful OF ma.
tives live there, with their King; there is
also the usual missionary. who looks after
the spiritual welfare of the islanders, an d
the usual Yankee trader, who supplies their
bodily wants in exchange for conra. Ac-
eoFding TO the adsiees the trader rs dis
gpsted at the proclamation of British SOW
ereignty, and thinks that the American eagle
shenid emit his Shtiflest scream IN defiance
OF Queen Victoria. But he viii hardly sue
eeed in eausIag the pulse of his eountrymen
TO threh,= =. =: ..:- l..
Tie npfy.use 60 which these: Islands can
ever be:putis to- 8erXe as: 'cealfng stations,
IN vtew OF the .possitil OF war maritime
naltDRs eught TO have. depots of Coal
plap ted at regular distances all; ever. the
Pacific Ocean. ave have: a bargain with
Haw ali for 4 cQatin station at Pearl Har-
Dor, but il dues not appear that We Fave
any coal there Of a yard prepared for* its
reception. Ws<have alSoa c0aHng station
at PaRgo p Gnse. in. Samoa. The Germans
have coaling stations on the MARSHALL ISL
aiqs. At MatHpt and at a port. in; Parma
Tile Freueh ! have. stations. on AusEal
isiand, Tahiti, the Sew Habrides and New
CALEDONIA. England has stations abent
which little is. known: on SCATTERED. Islands
from QneeIrs tana Is ,Ffjt. and SanIGa;. .he T
steamers could cealat points evenly distant
!. slr- the ii ay. from Bills bane to tbe:equ8tor.
/ II tie United States Should 20 to9sar WITH
Englagid the .ranise over. which AMERICAN
war steain FRS ceuld: cruise would probably
not exceed "a radius Of 20l0 mikes 1fem
Hawaii, hileaBfitish steamers would Conn
ma9d the whole Of. the sS0Hth west Pacific;
1t is not necessary 10 point out tire disad:
vantage under which this country would
+ labor ,.1'wenly.eiGht. years ago enc rebel
cruiser. destroyed. :. American coinuserce
with Siam, and it .has never been :resaT-
rected: - r
As to>the pofiey of snnexinz these Poly
| Hesian:islands, either to- serve as >cQafsts-
lions OFFER otner purposes. 1hat ia d1ffereHt
matt The eX pertinent. is. being tried: at
+ Samoa, and according to- Robert. Louis
/ StevenSbnit rs going to prove SUCCESS.
/ The URited States was compelled TO inter-
fere TO prevent the Island passing Into
German hands, with a German monopoly
Of trade. This.ied TO the Ber}fn conference
atwh5ch control of: Samoa was confided to
a Chief Justice -Ighe. was a Scandinavia.
| aud the police. Of the. seaport Ap{a was
placed in the hands of the foreign Con sails;
i turns out ihas the Goyernmenti which
consists of a: faineant King, and an ,abao.
i, hfc.f Il
is not .fnIflhnG the proper :pHrpQses Ola
Government ard. costs fur more: than. :he
people can afEQrd. Samoa furnishes one
illustration of the fact that. the conquest
and occupation of foreign territory eonfers
|. little advantage qpon the. cenquernr and. is
a source of WEAKNESS and expense.