Evening star., 1899-04-12
BIoodshed in samoa.

The Samoan tangle is thrown into a
greater snarl than ever by this sudden news
of fighting near Apia resulting in the death
of British and American officers and ma
rines. Until now the Skirmishing has been
largely perfunctory for the purpose of en-
forcing the proclamation issued by Admiral
Kautz and maintaining the Malietoa gov
ernment But now comes word of an am
buscade on a German plantation. with
sharp fighting marked by bloodshed and
death.
The first impulse is to attribute the col
lsion between the allied forces and the
Mataafaites to German suggestion 1t is
generally accepted on this side of the water
that Herr Roses counter proclamation TO
the natives had the effect of precipitatng
shostilities. The German claim is that Rose
justified in issuing his proclamation
The fact seems to be that Admiral kautz
used broader terms than were actually war
ranted when he gave the natives to under
stand that the representatives of the three
powers had agreed to repudiate the pro-
visional government and to sustain the de-
cision of the chief justice. 1t remains a
question whether 1T was wise proper for
Rose thereupOn to undertake to correct
what was perhaps only a technical error
in verbiage when he must have known that
warriors into the bush with hostile intent.
As long the misunderstanding resulted
in no loss of life there could be no serious
complaint. But It appears that 1t became
necessary to patrol the interior of the is
land to locate the natives in arms and to
enforce order. 1t was in this effort that the
landing party of British and American sail
ors ran into an ambush. Unfortunately the
ugly fact appears that the killing took
place on a German plantation and that the
owner thereof was later arrested on the
strength of affdavits showing that he was
seen melting the natives to fight the white
troops. If this fact can be established it is
easy to believe that The native force held
position on the plantation with his cogni-
zance. perhaps at his suggestion
This German land owner is thus far to be
regarded as only a private individual in the
case and may not be found to have had any
connection whatever with Rose or any of
the official German contingent. But his ma
tiOnality and the circumstances of the Rose
counter proclamation tend to create an i'm
mediate feeling Of resentment against the
German attitude in the islands
The American position at present is that
the status quo must be maintained until
the Joint high commission can visit Samoa
and devise a better method of government
and that no step can be taken toward re-
prisals, reputation of completed acts
apologies or reparations until the commits
sion acting as a jury, shall decide as to the
right and the wrong. The German public
position today seems to be that this gov
eminent should, upon ex-parte evidence
and incomplete accounts, rebuke it's repre-
sentatyes. The completion of the commits
sion awaits German action. There is every
reason for expedition
Just what effect this fight near Apia will
nave upon the case is not easy to foresee
In spite of the provocation it should not
immediately change the American position
but should rather strengthen the American
contention On the other hand if the nat
ural suspicion that American and British
lives were sacrificed through German stub
bornness and connivance should excite ad-
dluonal resentment in Germany il NAV in
huence the attitude of that government
The need of the I.our is for caImness on
this side OF the water. Undue excitement
may Jeopardize International peace. All the
Iacts are to be learned as quickly as possi-
BILE. and then the persons found to be re-
sponsibie, directly Indirectly for she'd
ding American blood Will be held firmly To
bear the burden OF this responsibility. 1t
Is TO be hoped that no German officials will
be discovered among the guilty.