The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-08-20
BAD FOR SAMOANS.
THE POOR NATIVES ARE BEING
GOVERNED TO DEATH,
Consul General MuIligan, in a Re-
port to the State Department,
Says That Under the Tripartite
Government of the United States
Great Britain and Germany, the
Condition of the Natives Grows
WORSE =

Washington, Aug. 1S.-Consul Gen.
"eral James l.. Mulligan, at Apia, Sa-
moa, has made a voluminous report to
1.-THE state department. upon the condi-
tons of the islands. A portion Of the
report is devoted to a review Of the
government of the islands by the
United States, Great Britain and Ger
many, under the Berlin treaty. This
treaty, Mr.. Mulligan concludes, was
mistake, and to maintain it is to per-
#sist in a mistake. ''The present
status" he says, 'is an Injustice to
the people of the United States and
grave wrong to those of Samoa. If it
be said that the treaty, so far as it
concerns Samoa, has made matters no
worse, it can be claimed with equal
truth that it has failed to make them
better in any particular. The admis-
sion of either postulate is to confess a
failure"
AS to the present government Of
Samoa, he says:
"A recognized and reigning king is
dependent for his support on the vol
untary cOntributions-the charity, in
fact-of that portion of his family or
tribe who adhere to him. while foreign
officers OF his government enjoy sal
aries from his revenues far. in excess
OF the value of services performed.
When pittance of his nominal salary,
long in arrears, is doled out to him, it
comes through the hands of the for
'"elgn official, who exercises his pleasure
to pay or withhold; his lawful wife is
IN no sense queen, nor no more entitled
to consideration than the half-clad wo-
men who file back and forth along the
tpa(r limo vii 1oC ~,
and part of the kingdom, levies import
and export duties on every dollars
worth of merchandise brought into or
shipped out of the kingdom, lending
out of it's revenues to the kingdom
barely enough to pay the most meager
expenses and the salaries of foreign
Officials.
All the machinery of government
perhaps it is not too much to say Of
several governments-is in active Op-
&c Grafton within the precincts of this lit
tie town. The guns of great men-of-
war, year in and year out, frown Of
.hclously upon the shore in support of
the government and the law which
does not exist within their effective
range; and yet an offender within half
a dozen miles of the seat of so many
authorities defies the processes of the
court and rebuffs the power of the in
valided government In the midst Of
all, white clad messengers of the
crown and consul fit to and fro along
the blazing beach, the bearers of i'm
posing envelopes in which are covered
the stately communications that round
out the measures Of time in this kin
dergarten of diplomacy. ..*'-''-5 .--'''
In the meantime no clearing is made,
no plantation is extended. The coun-
try which, at BEST under it's many
disadvantages, needs all the stimulus
OF peace, all the security that govern
ment can secure, visibly languishes.
There is no immigration, influx of CAP
1tal or suggestion of enterprise. All
wait for that underlined something
That change which is to come; wait as
they have waited for thirty years;
wait for the abrogation of the treaty,
as they and their fathers waited for
its coming"
Only small part Of the islands, he
says, are under control of this gov
eminent. Back from the shore and the
town, the people do as they please.
The treaty made by three governments
Tor the government of third is not
considered success.