The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-09
THE SAMOAN PROBLEM.

LONG MALIETOA of Samoa, we are told main
N tanned his royal state on revenue Of about $50
month derived from his subjects, and patron
lied the arts and pleasures of his capital out of such
sums as his wife allowed him from the income she
earned by doing the washing for the European and
American residents of the place He was potent
nor very august monarch in his life and yet his
death threatens to disturb the world more seriously
than that of the late Czarthe mighty autocrat of all
the Russas.
While Maietoa lived he served as sort of buffer
against which American, British and German rivals
in the islands shook their fists or butted their heads
as passion prompted when they angry and thus
were saved from fighting another. Maietoa
dead, however, serves no such purpose. The
entous traders find themselves standing face to face
Fist shaking has become dangerous, and head butng
would mean immediate war. The Kings DEATH there
fore, is OF more than that of any other SOW
ereign of recent years. Truly it might be said of him
that we could better have spared better He
seems to have been in the truest of the phrase
peacemaker, for now that he is gone it looks as if
the only way by which the United States Great
Britain and Germany can avoid engaging in tri-
angular war would be to agree with another to
perpetrate wholesale spolation of the islanders
The proposition for spoiation is under discussion
in Germany and is said to have found favor there
Bas1ng their conclusions upon the admitted failure
OF the present system OF governing the islands by
trpartite league the Germans propose to divide the
group and apporton them among the three powers
According this plan the United States is to take
Tutuia, the British Savaii and the Germans Upou.
while the Samoans to take the deep seas or to
take in washing for living as the great Malietoa
did before them.
The proposed plan, it will be conceded, has its
merits By what appears to be an equitable division
OF the spos it gives to each of the three great powers
station in that part of the ocean and enables each
to provide there coaing and naval depot of such
magnitude as it chooses. 1t also relieves each from,
any share Of responsibility for the actions of the
Others and thus puts an end to those irritating
problems that have been continually arising ever
since the trpartite agreement was made
The interests of all three of the powers in the
islands are considerable The foreign population is
mainly British and most of the imports are British;
the wealthest firms are German and most of the ex-
ports are to Germany; while we have treaty rights
with the islanders and have frequent direct steam
ship communication with the group BY the proposed
division Germany will get the island containing the
capital and the largest population the United States
will obtain the one with the finest harbor and Great
Britain will have the most land
The chief objection to the scheme is that all this
equitable division will be made among powers who
have no equities at all in the matter All of them
have agreed to maintain the independence of Samoa
and to break that agreement would be in small way
something similar to the partition of Poland Alto
gether the subject is an unpleasant one 1t is to be
regretted that Malietoa is dead