Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-03
Mataafa Forced to Keep
Within Certain Limits
THE JOINT COMMISSION
Has Not Yet Settled the Trouble
England and America Have Re-
cOgnized MalietOa TanuS as the
Rightful King of the Island.

Apia, Samoa, May 90, via San Francisco,
June 3.-Nhen Admiral Kautz issued his
proclamation of April % directing Mataafa
and his followers to keep beyond certain
defined limits around Apia, the prohibited
district covering an area of u miles long
and six miles broad. followed by a notiiica-
ton to Mataafa that unless the rebels were
outside the prescribed limits in "A hours
fire would be opened upon them wherever
they could be reached, this ultimatum
brought about an immediate and uncondi-
tional compliance with the admirars direc-
tons. From that time up to date there
has been no conflict with the rebels. Cap
tain Sturdee of the POI poise. ACCOMPANIED
by Rev. William Huckell of the London
Mission society. as interpreter. paid the
rebel camp at F'alenla a visit the day fol-
lowing. and in order to avoid mistakes in
the future went over the boundary line
with several Mataafa chiefs, who prom
ised to keep the peace until the commits
sion had had time to act. The district
which the rebels have evacuated is quite
large enough to supply food to the Malie-
toans in Apia and thus one Of the great diff
ficulties of the naval authorities has been
overcome.
Since the rebels went to Falenla a strong
patrol Of 100 or 500 men daily made a round,
seeing that all is quiet. and that no loot
ing or damage is being done BY the Malie-
toa followers. Several cases Of looting
have been reported and where it has been
possible to find out the offenders they have
been severely punished. The damage caused
by the friendlies, however, has been very
small in comparison with that caused by
the Mataafans. not one-twentieth part.
The large fort at Lotopia was destroyed
BY the Malietoans. and it is reported that
Mataafa is highly enraged at this, claim
ing that in the event of his wishing to re-
turn to the same after the commission has
made known its decision, he ought to have
been allowed TO do SO. In the meantime
he is building forts inland of the town Of
Falenla and his followers stoutly declare
even if the commission are unanimous
him he will never acknowledge
Tanus as king. and will fight it out to The
bitter end. These assertions may be only
talk, but as far as we can Judge here the
Of the kingship does not seem to
lie within the scope Of the commission.
Tanus has been publicly crowned by the
American and British authorities here and
been saluted with royal honors by both
The Philadelphia and Tauransa, on the oc-
casion of his coronation and of his formal
visit at the warships since the amistice 1.
mas been i'll force. His chiefs and Tama-
sese, the vice king, are carrying on the
government. and they are in possession.
Tanus is king de facto as we'll as de jure.
and in addition there are now in Apia $500
male adults carrying ., 100 rifles supporting
him. This means that absolutely half of
Samoa is at present supporting the king at
Apia.
NTotonfo Sc lil-11,, ~. ~ a =
man. and although a personal friend of his,
who had an interview with him a few DAYS
ago, says that Mataafa is prepared to ac-
cept the inevitable at the hands of a unani-
nous commission, he will never submit to
q minority, even though that minority be
the two greatest nations on earth. In the
the rebels are strengthening
their positions, sending out messengers for
their sympathizers to come and join
them and are busily engaged manufacture
lng cartridges. Deserters from the Ma
taafa camp say that on the occasion of the
Fakes last visit to Salu Fata that some of
the rebel chiefs went off to the ship and
asked for a supply of ammunition, but that
the same was refused them to their great
The loyalists, on the other hand, are for
their intrenchments around Apia,
and are being daily drilled and instructed
by officers from the dierent warships. A
gun has been taken from II. NJ. /
s. Torch and is now mounted at Mulium,
in such a position as to the whole
IF the western portion of the Municipality.
The great question is, will the commission
order the disarmament of the natives If
they do it is the opinion of almost every
white resident that these islands will no
onger be safe to live in and many declare
that if the natives are to retain their ri
les, never mind what other solution Of the
question is made, they cannot and
will not live here with their lives, families
and property at the mercy of the rebels.
1t is the intention of Admiral Kautz to
leave here three lays after this writing.
He sees that the commission will be a long
time over its labors. and that during that
time nothing will be done by the war YES
sells. The Badger and the Brutus are botn
here in American interests. and the New
ark Is expected in three weeks at least,
and therefore there is no need for him to
wait here a heightened period doing noth-
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