The record-union., 1899-01-20
German Consul Responsible for the
Outbreak Of Natives.
Encouraged Mataafa's Forces to Pursue
the Course They Did.


Navy Department Prepares Or
ders for the Cruiser Philadel-
phia to Proceed to the Islands.
LONDON, Jan. ia special from
Auckland, N. T., says the British and
American Consuls were compelled to
force the doors of the Supreme Court at
Apia, Samoa, in which the German Con-
sui has established himself and to push
him into the street.
AN parties at Apia, the special dis
patch continues, unite in condemning
the German Consul for the fighting
which has taken place between the rival
Kings. 1t is pointed out that in vio-
lation Of all agreements, the Consul ac-
cOmpanied Mataafa's force when the
claimant invaded the town and encour-
aged the opposition to Malietoa Tanu-
When the British and American Con-
suls were informed as to the situation
they adjourned the court and locked the
building. The German Consul then de-
mandcd the keys. and they were refused
him. He then broke open the doors,
removed the locks and replaced them
with others.
He afterward brought the German
municipal President into the chamber,
and the latter went up on the balcony
and shouted to the British and Ameri-
can marines assembled on the square:
Il am the Supreme Court 1 am the
Chief Justice
The crowd replied with jeers, and the
British Consul demanded the keys of
the building, which were refused. A
Scotchman named Mackie thereupon
climbed upon top of the building and
hoisted the Samoan flag, while the Brit
ish and American Consuls and a num-
Der of marines invaded the building,
forced the doors open and pushed the
German Consul into the street.
Then the two Consuls formally and
legally, according to the dispatch,
opened the court and issued warning
against any further interference with
its jurisdiction, threatening to arrest
and imprison any one attempting to do
so.
Matters, the dispatch concludes, are
now quiet, and the German Consul ces
mains in the Consulate.
PHILADELPHIA ORDERED TO
SAMOA.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-The Navy
Department has prepared orders for the
cruiser Philadelphia to proceed to
Samoa at once to represent the United
States there. The commander of the
Philadelphia will act in conformity with
the instructions of the United States
Consul, SO far as these instructions are
in line with the treaty Of Berlin, which
the United States contends must be
literally enforced until amended. f, 1t
would take the Philadelphia about six
teen days to make the run from San
Diego to- Apia, touching at Honolulu
for coal.
One resource open to the Navy De-
partment is to send the Oregon to
Samoa. She left Callao on the 11th
instant, and should reach Honolulu
about February Sth, where she can be
intercepted with orders sent by the dis
patch boat Iroqpois, now at San Fran
cisco. The big battleship Iowa is due
at San Francisco about the same date
that the Oregon is due at Honolulu, SO
that the Pacific Coast will not be left
entirely without a naval force.
While the attention of the public has
been of late drawn from the Samoan
Islands to other more important sub
jects, it appears that interesting events
have been succeeding one another with
rapidity in the islands. 1t has been
realized for a long time past that there
was need for modification of the terms
of the tripartite treaty, by which we
assumed joint guardianship with Eng
land and Germany, but up to this point
it has not been possible to get all three
of the Powers to agree upon any one
project. Negotiations have been on
foot in relation to the succession to the
Samoan throne, and it is calculated to
lead to ill-feeling, at least, that the
German officials should resort to a
coup d'etat at this stage of the negotia-
tione.
1t is believed that much of the re-
sponsibility for this arbitrary action
must rest upon Raffel, the German
President of the Municipal Council at
Apia. whose troublesome attitude of
late has led to remonstrance on the part
of other Powers. There has been an
understanding that he was to be re-
moved to another scene of activity, and
the supposition is that. getting wind of
this intention, he has precipitated a
crisis before his Government could
reach him with orders.
Auckland is 1890 miles distant. and
this lack of communication makes the
situation more perilous than it would
be otherwise. The United States, Great
Britain and Germany could easily reach
a satisfactory solution of the crisis in
Samoa if they could deal with the sub
ject themselves in the usual course,
but there is some fear of ill-considered
action on the part of some of the
agents of these Governments in Sa-
noa before they can receive instruc-
tions from their Governments The
interests of the United States are in
the hands Of Mr.. Lloyd in whose dis
cretion the State Department reposes
great confidence.
The immediate effect Of the publica-
tion in the morning papers of the news
from Samoa was to bring to the State
Department Sir Julian Pauncefote, the
British ambassador, and Baron Speck
Won Sternberg, the Secretary of the
German Embassy. Under the strict
rules laid dorn for the government OF
diplomatic Intercourse. neither Secre-
tary Hay nor the two diplomatic repre-
sentaffves uamed would say anything
whatever al to the nature OF the con-
versations that took place between
them