The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
GERMAN FIRM" IN SAMOA.
1T WEANS SOMETHING FAR MORE
IMPORTANT THAN TRADE.

A Big Commercial Agency with Biere
Political Innuences-Thcodor Weber
Great Empire It's Present Disturb
ing Influences It's Interest for us
It is very hard TO draw the line OF distinction
In Samoa between commercial Germany anC
the political side OF tho question. One thing Il
n settled fact. patent to tho eye. Tho German
ward OF Apia. Matafclc. in local geography be
gips at the German Consulate and IL bounded
at the further end Of tho beach by the harrack,
aud the factory OF tho German Firm. Whit lie,
beyond is merely the monarchy Of Samoa and
the strictly independent and autonomous Gov.
eminent of the kingdom. n feature much con-
sidered In the document known as the Berlin
General act.
Independent this Samoan monarchy may be,
autonomous its government. but there Is only
one way to got to II. and that road begins al
the Office Of the imperial German Consul-Gen-
eral and passes the door OF the German Firm.
And when one has travelled this Teutonic ap-
proach and has arrived at the Samoan indie
pendence cooped at the end OF n barren penin-
sula of sand, whore is not even a source OF
sweet water to drink. then Ia found the small
palace Of the King. in the relative position OF a
! pofter's lodge to the largo mansion which the
feeble Samoan Government had to build for its
German President. Nor would the Samoan
King have had even such scanty accommodate
tons had It not been for the generosity Of the
Government of the United States. which gave
to Laupepa the wrecks OF the Trenton and the
Vandalia.
Tho German Firm has been mentioned. 1t Is
time to be more precise in the identification,
for 1t Is not to be expected that the knowledge
local to tho Apia beach is widely difrused about
the world. and most people are not fully cog
infant OF what this company is. The German
Firm is its most common title. short. n suf-
flciently good description OF what Is meant, not
80 cumbrous as the recitation OF the signboard
In full would be. On those beaches where it
rules with the power that many a king lacks. It
Is called by many names. always descriptive,
some spoken only In whispers and among
trusted friends. for It may be remarked in pass
ing that the man who seeks a fight with the
German Firm will find the South Seas too
small for him. 1t ia the Firm" the Long
Handle Firm" The Dutchy Handel the
d. Fl. &P. g." but always and everywhere THE
German Firm" It's full name calls for a para
graph all by itself. Some have said that the
spruce young clerks are required to recite the
name night and morning as q sort OF litany:
Die Deutsche Handels- und- Plantagens-
Gesellschaft der Sued See Inseln zu Hamburg
Hauptagentur In Apia."
Contemplation OF the massive magnitude Of
this title makes 1t clear why economical users
OF the goods choose some shorter aprellation,
German Firm being the most common and
carrying with it no suggestion of harsh criti-
cism-a matter on which these German traders
and planters are both touchy and suspicious.
Tho German Firm since 1t has assumed the
long name has never declared a dividend. Its
balances are secret and confidential. but those
most conversant with the conditions OF its
trade are satisfied that il is conducted year by
year ut a loss. SO long as present conditions
endure in Samoa. that is so long as the United
States and Great Britain oppose the present |
to German schemes of annexation,
there is no prospect that the business of the
firm will show a profit balance. An unknown
amount Of its stock is controlled by the i'm
perial will OF the German ruler. either stand
ing in his own name or in that OF members of
household. 1t receives an unknown SUBJ
sidy every year from the German Govern
ment in some obscure item of the
of the colonial empire. It has
with the settlement Of the
.roubles OF the Samoan State In n long Sc
OF years: it Is not by any means free from
suspicion that it is manipulating in these PRES
ent days the succession to the throne left va
can't by the death OF Malietoa Laupepa. It
Germany and the United States so
close to the edge Of war that nothing but the
ruin Of the fleets in the memorable gale of 1889
~ ''S wv Ai' III al thlS IL HAS lDSI |
money. Worst of all, it is an Ishmaelite on the
beach its hand is against every man. every
nan is against the firm.
The reason lies in the simple fact that the
business was created by a stupendous genius;
t is continued by n set Of mere clerks. Theo-
lor Weber, who Grasped the trade of the whole
'outh Sea and loaded it into argosies sailing
round the world for the free State of Ham
'urg. was wise and far-seeinG he is dead. Those
rho live are courteous when it is necessary:
hey car stand erect and bring the heels OF
heir shoes together with that indescribable
lick which is Germany all over: they can per
orm with unimpeachable regularity and pre-
ision that sudden forward bending Of the
ody, pivoted at the hips. which is a German
These young men can speak to you in
GOD English. and can understand all the va
.etles o. German which arc attempted upon
lem. but they never learn Samoan.
Theodor Weber could speak the soft and rich
peech Of Samoa as it is given to few men.
ven among the native born. to speak it. This
only one of n long line of differences.
lr. Weber had his hand always in Samoan
olitics. and the world never heard OF it.: let
young men enter into some sort Of a
etty agreement with a marauding party Of
and the world knows it promptly.
ow there is a Consular Board and interna-
onal complications. Those seldom happened {
the old days. Mr.. Weber usually owned the :
ritish and American Consuls. and there was 9
'ldom any trouble. MI. Weber WINS n man. n
inch Of him: these others. well there IS /
othing hut the German for it. they are "Eauf- q
which means tradespeople, and so Y
mch more than the English word conveys. q
The SamoanS learned in the first DAYS that in L
ls world are three supreme p~Owers-Moleka, s
irltnnia and Mist Teba-and that of these 4
Isl tcha was the one most to he considercd. Z
the very beginning they were willing to n
cord America the first place. as n mere set Il
mont of honorary rank. Great Britain next. Il
Weber, was always with thcm, Uptonv wear S
SO ago they used to point out the little cabin s.
which this pioneer Of German cS-
b'ishcd his first little store in Samoa, As n
"y row on past the. spot your hoatmnn will q
y you, the lyric, famous in all Samoa. Of n
S,lisi t"ba ma le apomnsi.' Of tho time when e
samoan canc TO Weber to huv n Tin of bis q
It. ono Of tn" large affairs which hold forty W
q pounds: Verse after verse describes the T.
gotiatiOn in all its mngcs Of detail, il sets n
TN how finally it was found that there was bur ID
g lone biscuit left in the tin. bur that Mist 81
'ba sold, that slnGl" biscuit for one s~lXpenco A
d sold the tin for another. II is inexprassi. al
Y droll from n Samoan standpoint. They @,
We the time to enjoy hrmHr long drawn out. II
Weber. q trader and. much more. possessor q
2 broad insight and a lOng-rnnge outSight. w
nat term I've as permissible az II ought to he. III
v tn" chances Of the South Sen. He cstab, w