The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
THE SAMOAN POST OFFICE.
IN GERMAN HANDS and RECOGNIZED
BY THE POSTAL UNION.

-
KinE MaliotoR Forced to Cancel the Con.
tract He Had Made with the English
Postmaster, who Was Recognized by the
United States-Mail Under Espionage.
Word has Just been brought out OF tho South
Seas that the German President OF the niunici-
pality OF Apia. DIR. Joannes Raffel, has throat
ened King Malietoa so effectively as to cause
him 10 withdraw his commission from the on
Ger who is ~erroneously styled Samoan Post
master-Genoral This has thrown the whole
mail service into German hands. and II is re-
ported that American residents fought on the
deck OF the mail steamer for possession OF the
mail sacks.
Years ago. at the time OF Samoa's greatest
difficulties. there was trouble over the mailS,
the Germans insisting on handling them. and
in their handling there developed such a sys-
tenn Of espionage that It was not at all safe for
q man to correspond on Samoan topios. except
in terms satisfactory to German authority.
King Malietoa commissioned an English resi-
dent who had the respect Of the whole come
munity. John Davis. to establish a Post ONCE
and connect it with the foreign mail system Of
the world. He did not create a Postal Depart
ment and appoint Mr.. Davis Postmasters
General. for there can be but one ONCE
in the archipelago with It's thin settlement Of
whites. the ONCE Mt Apia. Mr.. Davis waa
authorized. however. TO issue q set Of stamps,
and whatever profits could he made out OF the
business were to 60 to him in lieu OF salary. NO
accounting to be made to the Government
Berlin passed over in silence the Davis postal
agreement, and It has been In continuous and
satisfactory operation during the ten years Of
the new order of things.
But II the treaty ignored this private estabS
lishment OF the Samoan Post ONCE. the powerA
party to that treaty in two instances gave Mr.,
Davis the Endorsement of acknowledgment BY
entering into postal contracts with him. HA
has been recognized by the United States and
by Great Britain and the whole British Empire.
The American Government consigns its SamoaH
mails to him and receives his mails both in
transit and for local distribution; IN fact, the
governmental pouch for the Consul Genera al
n mans y sill sHp' cI Sn5St to the e'i idea Sn't That n the sh sh SsE;
handle the mails. The first step was 70
order that all mail matter addressed 70
dressed through. the Consulate. and should
first be delivered there. This was a forciblo
extension OF the common custom Of addressing
travellers letters in Consular care. but. as u
affected only Germans, no one could interfere.
upon the Consulate ono Of tho Consular clerk0
was assigned to the duty OF asserting th0
letters.
In the course Of time the German Consulate
at Apia made such reprGsentati0ns to the direoA
as to secure It's recognition as a Post ONCE.
This change in status from an, eXtraneous task
e Po a G 61TIsS ai,S sl9rS t. tRs a p rsSnII" sIsts eonst Il, ed
United States md the British empire in con-
nection with their CONTRACTS with the Postal
forced into the ONCE oithe German. Consul al
Aria; who began to display a signboard pre-
Hle year and ID a hall ago T This ' SGS5rn11 F ofiee o gSSc
notice through the Postal Union that it wal
suit sufip american &c H1 and 1dki British RuG NAILS W Sfa as re a fs.
tered, were forced through the German oGlce.
money order business, but in this branch they
have not been able to force recognition by the
Now they have approached the goal at which
tor years they have beer aiming. and bythreats
1 missI eay wh iSIse Mr. t Davis kin 6as 70 8. SSn I1sr The bsIS COM
is clear that they expect to succeed him and to
assume all the postal business on the ground
knowledged by the International Postal Union.
They may be successful in this. but q ~loophole
tingency, the. British Consulate Is equipped
With TtI1 TIE full furniture Of a Post ONCE. stamps
moment begin to handle a foreign mail system
for al letters ter and parcels which may be brought
vision of the sort. but. even without the con.
GSs snerSi eo' Il 90 9oIjt nst %Sas the Ser shs c9 aPS Il
Lie n samoa is q prolonged course Of watch.
What they do has a direct bearing on the secur-
itXX r OF every person T., .
world d%f for RsA gossip 81 A and r u ser W S0d tR RtsG ae IN shS
are as much the butt Of ignorant or malicious
more than beach gossip In the common distrusS
OF the German handling Of the mails. There
In private letters have become known when the
letters have passed out or In through the Gora
man residents manifested q sense OF the inso4
curity of their own office. Tho local paper COM
The Germans who mailed that paper abroad
game by night and deposited 1t In the Davis
Post Office. fearing that 1t would not pa0O
through their own. II the Germans themselves
have this distrust Of the, German Post once. II
to prevent the handling OF their mails in Tho
German Consulate.