The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-10
KAUTZ'S COURSE In SAMOA.
All THE FIGHTING WAS TO RESTORE
ORDER, he SAYS.


p-The cruiser Philadelphia arrived here yes
terday from Samoa On board are the bodies
OF Lieut. Lansdnlc and Ensign Monag han who
were killed in the lighting with the natives.
She will sail in about ten days for San Fran
cisco.
Everything was quiet and orderly when we
left Apia." said Admiral Kautz. " Both Mataafa
and Mnlcton Tanu had agreed to abide by the
decision OF the Joint high commission.
MY orders from the Navy Department
were to remain at AHA as long as I
thought necessary. The Philadelphia needs
dry docking very badly and we have
about loo men aboard whose term OF service
has expired. For these reasons ! decided to
return to san Francisco. Ny views have beon
fully expressed in dispatches to the depart
mcnt have been pretty VOL roasted but
do not think | am unduly sensitive. and when
the circumstances arc all known it will be all
right
The situation when the Philadelphia ar
rived in Samoa was this Mataafa and his
thirteen chiefs were exercising authority as
provisional government. He was not King
for though he had been elected King by his own
tribe. he had not been recognized by any Of the
signatory powers: not even by Germany. as Ia
required by the Berlin treaty, Malietoa Tanu
had been elected King and recognized as such
by the supreme Court and by the British
and American Consus. But no was not
able to exercise his authority. and was
or board the Porpose. Mataafa and
his chiefs were doing Just as they
pleased. and it had pleased them to inaugurate
what was in effect u reign Of terror. Obviously
the first thing to be done was to restore order
Obviously also the way to do this was to
store to their rights those who had been de-
prvod Of them
"Nlalietoa. it had been decided. was King 1t
would have been illogical to attempt to re-
form the usurping Government. A proclama-
ton was made in accordance with the decision
OF the supreme Court, and all the lighting that
against Mataafa. but to prevent his aggres-
sions. to restore order and to protect life
a ant sd IL bae With it and dSsa
Mataata and his forces as. by destroying what
might hc called contrahand OF war; to prevent
him from making aggressive warfare on the
reaceahly disposed. The coronation, so called.
Of Malieton was rather formal. aud the public
away to imprcss the Samoans most effectively.
When the badger arrived the iHternat1na
ity They began at once an inquiry into
the conditions calling before then, such
Sses@0 WAS MSs bc f"Td em
and so was the senior, Br.tish officer, CAPT.
Stuart and others Meistoa T1IH was becFe
ssp r = sas% e. hraG int ;rsss RSn
accomranied by two others, each carving from
commission are not exactly secret. thcy cannot
be said to be open to the public, and little is
very little. / feel satisfied that matters will
come out all right.
As 70 some of our ammunition being bad.
II would be more accurate to say that some Oft
was very old and in using il we f"und there was
danger to our, own friends and our own men.
Lansdao and Monaghan werek iled when on an
expedition along the coast. They went UP the
coast some dstance and then. instead OF re-
would have been under the protection Of the
guns Of the vessels in the harbor they took n
@ f he sf a tn n ta f Rs
have been told over and over again. They were
brave fellows. learned Just before LEFT that
hxht'" "''"'l 'l''" ,o'' "'''' ''H'' INV ~ '''"
Officers OF the Philadelphia bring story OF
Joint high commission in Samoa. or at least
cause friction. The story concerns tn" actions
sent TT to Hrng Natae beore The ' MS
The proposal of the commiIsion when it sent
,or MaSaaa rr9 }ErH ' tIcT T'ntS to
bring Mataafa and his retnue and to take him
back For convenience It was decided that on. one
It could tow the other two. To the Germans
was given precedence IN the IL. way OF tur-
from the. American and British vessels
In tow 1t vas EndSrsH"d by the X AmeT
and and ri" suite tie" should be distrbuted
among the hree boats. But when they got to
him ali fonT VIII tRroe e large Samoan boats
each capable Of carrying from lop 70 200 men.
Al fitted W in gay colors b and with the s" MhIap
Mataafa himself was seated.
In spite OF the objections offered by the Brit
SSitEE the the ii,%rtish ann IAmeSiean cutters
means sang their native airs and carried on
generally as though they we're ne yictors in
the point that brought them into view from
Apia. Malietoa's adherentS were very much
alarmed and nflronted, They took tn" spec pee;
going before the commission. not to be
pulled up alongside tho BalEer u" Mntaafa
taking possession Of their own, The guard at
tho head Of the ganGway refused to allow them
their boats until IN" Commiss toner's sent word
that they were ready TO receive them Then
tation were allowed to come on board Mean
while the British and American escHrtinG OIL
GERS had repOrted the matter to their com
handing officers and protests were sent to the
Commissioners against the ann"nrance q o.
Commissioners at once ordered that the
Samoans to whom objection was made. those
hor. Mataafa was before the commission only
an hour or two. and when he left his boats
were tOweu back 10 tnclr neauuNdrttrS. 10y the
German launch. but unnccnmpanicd by any
representatives OF the British or American
warships,
The philadelphia left too soon after this Incl
dent to learn whether the commission took any
further notice Of IT, There is 4 genera! feeling
among tn" officers Of the, PhiIadclphia that
II they had boen lot alone for another
week or two before receiving notice that the
commission was coming they would have
brought MNtaafa TO- submission and settled thu
we're getting short Qf ammunjtion,. it IS
said. while more and more Of Malietoa's
men were being armed and drilled and Of
fcered by British aud Amcrican officers and
were becoming more effective.
Tho Philadelphia brings word that Nnilima.
Robert Louis StcvcnsOn's Old home near Aria.
was not destroyed. as reported 1t was struck
10y a 6-inch she'll which went through It with;
out exploiting, leaving n cIear-cut round
hole. at its entrance and exit Another
shell exploded some yards away and took of
part Of the roof and broke much glass in the
windows. but did no material damage.
To Contest Capt. Clayton's Election.
The election Of Cant. Clayton IA Colonel Of
tho Fourteenth Regiment in brooklyn over
Col BrItton. by vote Of 10 to II on Thurs