The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-01
A new BOUNDARY.
Consul.General Churchill
Tells of Old Line.
Made in Accordance With Berlin
Activity Germany
Opposes.

Germany objects TO an extension OF
the boundary lines at Apia, Samoa,
and the enlargement OF the municipal
ity 1t is said in the news dispatches
that this is in fear OF an increase IN
American control. Germany is said to
see in the movement, also, an attempt
on the part of the United States to
annex Samoa ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Churchill in an interview on the sub
ject, fixes the existing boundary, and
tells of its establishment. as follows:
1t is quite inaccurate to credit the |
American Chief Justic e OF Samoa |
with the enlargement OF the municipal
ity of Apia. Judge Chambers was con-
WINGED that the enlargement was Who'll |
ly correct, but the initiative was not
with him and could not be under the
terms Of the Berlin Final Act. The
Municipal Council by resolution which
received the unanimous vote of all
seven members, Of whom the Germans
have a majority, proposed the enlarge
ment. The board of the three cOnsuls
gave careful consideration to the mat
ter and failed to approve unanimously,
the German Consul-General being in
opposition. The matter was therefore
referred to Chief Justice Chambers for
final decision and after most careful
study he approved the resolution Of
the Council. incidentally, may state,
that the question was referred to King
Malietoa and the Samoan Government
and was at first opposed by them on
the plea that it was not right to alter
the words of the Berlin Act. But King
Malietoa went into the matter very
carefully with me and | was able to
convince him that it was not an alter
alton of the treaty but a mere rectifi-
cation of an error in Interpretation.
And from my acquaintance with the
Samoan tradition l succeeded in show
ing him that the proposed new bound
airy had been we'll known for a longer
time than the whole line of the Male
toas. This brought conviction to the
King and Government and they ap-
proved the measure.
The Berlin Final Act provides the
boundaries of the Apia municipality
in much these terms: Beginning at the
sea, thence running south along the
Fuluasou river to the point where it
| is crossed by the Alafuala; thence
easterly along said Alafuala to the Val
| sigano; thence in a right line to the
mouth of the Vailoa; thence westerly
| to the point of beginning. But in this
statement the Berlin Final Act Of 1890
perpetuates an error made in the con-
vention of 1880, the word Alafuala
| That is nonsense in Samoan, the word
has no meaning but is gibberish, and
| there can be no such thing. When the
matter first came up for consideration
in the time when Mr.. Sewall was first
sul-General in Samoa it was unani-
mously decided by the Consular Board
that Alafuala was manifestly corrup-
| tion of Ala Fa'alava, or cross road.
| Proceeding on this unanimously ac-
cepted reading of the Act the then Ger
man Consul, DR.. Stuebel, proposed a
southern boundary at point then con-
siderably inland of all settlements, and
that was accepted by the Consular
Board. At the present time. however,
settlement by Americans and English
has considerably overpassed the form
er boundary as the rich cacao lands of
Papauta and Papaloloa have been con-
firmed to Caucasian claimants as
against native DIRECTORS. Eager to
share the advantages of government
within the municipality these new set
tiers made their own investigations and
found that Dr. Stuebefs boundary con-
formed to no cross road whatever, that
in crossing Vaea mountain it betrayed
a reckless disregard Of perpendicular
ty which would daunt even goat and
that it was purely mathematical
boundary not designed by the Act
In &c inn T 11l
to employ my Familiarity with Samoan
antiquities in order to determine the
position of the Ala Fa'alava There
are three roads of the nature near
Apia. One is the road along the beach
at the waters edge: on followed the
Tuasivi or the crest of the central
sierra of Upolu: third is intermedi
ate between these, it begins at Null
fanua, the western point of Upolu and
it ends at Mutiatele. the eastern point
and for its whole extent it is distin.
guished by stone paving and stone
containing walls. Throughout Samo
an history it is distinguished as the
Ala Fa'alava o Tonga, the cross road
Of the people who settled Hawaii ant
other parts of the Pacific after The
expulsion from Samoa This is tn.
road proposed by the Municipal Con
sui for the southern or inland bound
airy Of Apia and approved by Chic
Justice Chambers. a road which is al
imperishable monument of the men O
ancient times.
am by no means surprised that thu
German Government objects. Their,
are reasons which it would not be ad
visable to indicate which cause thi:
action to worry the Germans in thei]
, supremacy in Samoa, but I am sug
gest that this enlargement of thu
municipality adds a considerable figure
to the English and American vote ant
makes practically no change in the
German poll. But I am sure that the
German protest can have no effect
everything has been done in stric
compliance with the Berlin Act and al
good Germans must acknowledge tha
it. like all other goods made in Ger
many is beyond cavil. The further
suggestion that the United State.
dream Of annexing Samoa is. O
course. too absurd to consider.
FULL OF ELECTRICITY.