Evening journal., 1892-09-03
.ENGLAND'S DARING GRAB
She Takes Forcible Possession
of the Gilbert Islands.
THE DAzBD KING QUIETLY YIELDS.

THE DAzBD KING QUIETLY YIELDS.
The Valuable Group seized on a FIimsy
Pretext After the United states Had
Been Asked TO Establish a Protectorate.
Our Commercial Interests May suffer.
SAN FRANoIsco, Sept Following hard
upon the seizure of johnson island and the
purchase Of Niihan island 10y Great Britain
comes the well authenticated story Of her
seizure in june Of the Gilbert islands, one
OF the most important Of the groups Of the
south seas. Private letters brought today
by the Australian steamer from Butaritiari,
on the Gilbert islands, under date of June 20,
contain full details of the seizure Of the
islands by the British ship Royalist on
June a.
On that day the British man-of-war Roy
alist appeared in the harDor and her cap.
tain landed in a steam launch, and with
several officers and an interpreter called on
the king. There, in public audience, with
all the foreign and native residents OF Bu-
taritiari gathered about, he read the proc
lamation;
Her majesty Victoria, queen of the United
Kingdom Of Great Britain. having this day as
sumed protectointe over the Gilbert islands.
! would remind an residents in the group other
than natives That it IS contrary 10 law to sup
ply firearms, ammunition or Intoxicating liq-
uOrs 60 any native Given under my hand ut
Apamama, the 25th OF May
ED. H. DAVIS,
Captain for Her Majesty and Deputy Commits.
siouer
The reading Of this proclamation created
a sensation. A conference was appointed
for the afternoon, at which were present
the king, the American commercial agents,
the agents for Wightman Brothers and A.
Crawford, Of San Francisco, the two lead
ing American firms, and the representative
OF the German company, of Joluit
The English Flag Run Up.
Captain Davis explained the cause Of the
proctomte, and declared that Wong Sam, a
British subject, had complained that in
January last he was robbed Of liquor and
tobacco worth sixty-hve dollars and though
he complained to the king he could get no
redress.
Davis talked in a very domineering fash
ion to the king saying: "You have taken
the 500 license from this Chinaman, who
Is a British subject, yet You permit him to
be robbed and do nothing TO make the thief
disgorge. You must pay him out of your
own pocket or there VIII be trOuble.n
At this point Captain Luttrell, who rep
resents Wghtman & Co., said that white
man stole the Chinaman's goods, and that
the king could not, under law, proceed
against white man. A British commander
waived aside the explanation and went on
TO threaten the king. lie warned him that
he must make the natives pay Immediately
their debts TO the traders, which amounted
to $1,000 He added:
I'll You can't DO this win see that it is
done. If you can't rule your island ] will
get man who can. You must do some
thing for your salary The queen is the
hardest worked woman ia England"
Then Commander Davis said in loud
tone, IF you viii now have your flag
hauled down ] win give you a nice new one
to put up" The old king, who seemed
dnzed, ordered his flag, which has noated
from the royal pole several years, hauled
down and the British flag run up in its
placs As soon as the English colors We're
shown the Rovalist fired salute, but there
was no enthusiasm on shore.
The United states warned.
The Americans here, who attribute this
action Of England to the kings recent
American trip, are furious, but they can
do nothing The ship left here for Maxim,
another island where the proclamation WA.
read. The ship returned on June - and
reported that the native murderer of
Chiuaman on the island OF Garawa had
been tried and convicted and the king had
shot him.
Tho king OF Butaritiari has only recently
returned from trip 10 San Francisco, I'M
dortaken, 10 was thought 60 induce the
United States 20 extend a protectorate
over the Gilbert islands While ia san
Francisco the king talked Of going 20 Wash
ington, but he received no encouragement
and i'll health forced him 70 return home.
Before he left he sent letters detailing
the situation on his island, and warning the
state department that England would soon
grab the whole Gilbert group unless the
United States interfered. He called atten.
ton to the fact that several San Francisco
commercial houses had invested large sums
in the islands and that they controlled the
trade, but that this control would De
suatched from them should England estah-
lish protectorate.
The king declared he preferred the Amer
ic,tils, but be was powerless TO resist should
England DO what she had done IN other
s.ntsfa of fra a...stI d u..a.