Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-07
The Result of the Work Of
The Commission.
ARMS WERE GIVEN UP
And Now the Islands will he Governed
by White Man Appointed by the
Three Powers-Treaty Signed by
Leaders of Rival Forces.

Chicago, Aug. IA special to the Tri-
bune from San Francisco says: Bartlett
Trlpp and Baron Sternberg, the American
and German members of the Samoan
commission, who arrived in this city Sat-
urday on the United States ship Badger,
will leave for Washington today On
board the Badger are $500 rifles which the
commissioners took from the followers of
Mataafa and Malietoa Tanu. In speaking
about these arms Mr.. Trip said:
''The commissioners on their arrival at
Apia May 13 last saw that the natives
would have to be disarmed if peace was
to be restored and were placed in po-
sition to accomplish anything definite. All
the white people on the islands, including
the naval officers and the missionaries,
thought disarmament was impossible.
The commissioners made up their minds
to have it done. Mataafa and his chiefs
We're sounded on the subject. They were
told that the Maletoa Tanu people would
be compelled to give up their arms if they
did SO. Negotiations were carried on
quietly, but in a determined manner. The
Mataafa people wanted to know If they
would receive pay for their guns. We had
no power to reimburse them. We prom
ised, however, that after peace was es-
tablished and we returned home that they
should be compensated for their arms or
i the latter would be restored to them.
ION May 13 last the Mataafa people
surrendered to US 200 guns. General sur
prise was expressed t this action. The
Malietoa Tanu faction a day later sur
rendered their arms, the latter including
! 700 rifles from the Englshman of war at
Apia. The Mataafa people soon came in
with the remainder Of their weapons. The
commissioners will recommend that the
natives be paid for the guns.
| Now as to the form Of government the
| commissioners have decided upon, we
think Wehave accomplished something
definite. Now I cannot talk upon what
we have decided upon. Only three copies
of the proposed form of government are
in existence. These are in the possession
of the three commissioners, and are in
tended for their respective governments.
While in a general way some of the feat
ures of this proposed form of government
are known, it is not true that the docu-
here or anywhere else. The proposed gov
ernment provides for a white man as ad-
ministrator of the island-the governor
general, in other words. He will take the
place of a Samoan king. Much of the
trouble on the islands has been due to the
fact that the natives have always had an
elective instead Of hereditary king. The
natives realize that fact themselves. Ma
ietoa having resigned as king, the trou-
hlpSOma nrONOSifiOn
by having a white administrator in
supreme control. it is the hope of the
commission that peace will be permanent
in the islands. There, also, will be consul
lar representatives, but their authority
will be more curtailed than at present.
The natives will be allowed local self
government. The idea of the commits
|. sioners is to let the natives govern them
selves as far as possible. We believe that
the government that we have recon-
mended meets with general approval on
. the part of the natives.
"The three drafts of copies we have are
. signed by IS Mataafa chiefs and a like
number Of Maletoa headmen. Before
drafting the scheme we visited every dis
!, trct in the island save Manua. Some
chiefs from the latter island We're seen
In all the district meetings were held
where we exchanged views with the ma
tives. Many good suggestions We're OBJ
tanned IN this way. FINALLY big cOuncl
was held. On that occasion 450 chiefs met
us. There was an equal number from
the Mataafa and Malietoa factions. I,
was a unique and picturesque gathering
Lauti, a Mataafa chief, read a lengthy
statement embodying his views as to a
: form of government. 1t contained many
: points we had already decided upon. This
coincidence was not strange, because OF
the fact that we had previously exchanged
views with the natives as to what was
: best for them.
.It was the day following this meeting
that &c chiefs, 13 from each faction
signed our three drafts of the proposed
government. The plan will have to bt
ratified by the three governments before
it is enforced. Chief Laut IS fine orator
He would rank an orator in any coun-
try. Chief Fati of the Malietoa following
is also an able sneaker. Chief Tenant
and Wou can also be placed in the same
category. When Chief Lemanu bade u:
sood-hy he remarked: You are not GO
ing back home to make fools of your.
: selXes?' He explained his somewhat SIN
gu.ar remark by saying: You will tel
your people that you made peace at Sa
moa We do not want TO disappoint you
will keep peace Chief Lemanu be-
: longs to the Mataafa following"
Mr.. Tripp admitted that Chief justice
!: Chambers had returned to this countr,
with the intention of resigning. He de
MED that there had been any friction be
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