The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-23
TREATY OF BERLIN.
How the Americans
First Got a Hold
in Samoa.
BISMARCK BLOCKED
His Little Scheme to Annex
Islands Defeated
by Bayard.

The Berlin agreement Of 1889 be-
tween Germany, Great Britain and the
United States, providing for the gov :
eminent of Samoa, was the result at .
the blocking by the United States Of
Prince. Bismarck's efforts at the annex
alton Of the group The German chan
cellor had been stead9xstly working
toward the absorption of Samoa by
| Germany with what seemed to De the
tacit. agreement of Great Britain. Late
in 1883, however, the United states
iflterposed a protest, and January w
1889 Prince Bismarck after German
blood had been shed ty Mataafa's fol-
lowers, proposed to the United states
a renewal of the conference winch nae
been held in 1887 in Washington, which
| resulted in an agreement to respect the
neutrality of Samoa. The invitation ol
the chancellor was accepted by Secre-
| tary Bayard on the condition that oei-
hgerent action in the islands should
meanwhile be suspended.
| The new conference was assembled
April 80 1889, the Washington repre-
! sentatiyes being John A. Hasson, Wll-
liam Walter Phelps and George II.
Bates. Three English and three Ger
man delegates were also present Ar
| Ter some weeks of discussion an agree
ment which is still in force IS the one
commonly and frequently referred TO
as the Berlin treaty"
The first article declares the indie
| Dendence and neutrality of the islands,,
! the equal rights of citizens of the three,
signatory powers and the right OF the
| Samoans to elect their own king ana
| choose their own form of government,
over which neither Of the powers SHAH
exercise a separate control. The pow
| ers agreed to restore to the king
| ship the deposed Malietoa Lautepa
The second article nullified all previous
DEGREES and agreements in conflict with
the latest one. The third article pro-
vided for the creation of a supreme
court to consist of a single judge, 10
be named by the three treaty powers,
or, if they should fail TO agree, by me
| king of Norway and Sweden. He might
be removed for cause at the request
of the majority of the signatory powers.
To him was given jurisdiction of all
questions arising under the treaty, in
Guiding any question arising among the
Samoans respecting the election of
kings or chiefs. his decision to be
final He was also to decide as to the
differences between. the treaty powers
| which they might fail to adjust by
mutual accord. 1t was his function to
recommend to the Samoan government
laws for the punishment of crime and
the protection of good order and the.
collection OF taxes in Samoa outside
of the district of Apia. Other powers
were given to him of a strictly judicial
nature. Subsequent articles related to
purely domestic matters.
! The fifth article decreed that the tax
| payers of the municipality Of Apia
should elect six eounselors, the presf-
dent Of the council and chief executive
/ tn Hfasl
pointed by the three powers, or, should
they fail to agree on any person, by the
| chief executive of Sweden, the Nether-
lands. Switzerland or BRAZIL Heawas
authorized to act on the joint instruc-
! lions of the three powers, but not un-
der separate Instructions of one or
/ Them and ii was right to advise the
Samoan king and his duty to give such
advice when the. king might request it.
! He was also given various municipal
| functions including the custody of the
municipal revenues, being accountable
to the king and the council. aot as
| o. X. W. Won Cedercrantz, a Swedish
HURST, was appointed chief justice, in
conformity with the agreement, and
Baron Senfft Won Pilsach, German
was made president of the municipal
council Under these officials Samoa,
including the. municipality of Apia, was
ireduced almost to bankruptcy. There
Was constant IflcEl9na tDelWeeH llelll+~
and the islands degenerated into state
approaching anarchy. No one would
lpay taxes. The natives complained
that the sole reason for the collection
of public revenues was to enable the
chief justice and the municipal presi-
dent to draw their salaries of $4,000 and
$4,000 annually EACH respectively. The
only newspaper in Samoa published at
tacks on these officials, doubtless mag
nifying their errors and misdeeds, and
Baron Won Pilsach finally to quiet the
criticism, purchased the newspaper Sc
cretly, using for this purpose some Of
the public funds remaining in the
treasury Early in 1898 both Baron
Won Pilsach and Judge Won Ceder-
csantz. realizing that their attempt at
government was a failure, wanted to
resign. The powers then were forced
to deliberate as to their successors, and
Mataafa's followers took advantage of T
the sad condition of affairs to become .
more arrogant toward the Mahetoa
government. Fighting occurred in the
middle of the year and Mataafa sue
ceeded in marching a force Triumphant
iy into Apia. The warships Of the
powers. however, interviewed and took
Mataafa prisoner. After a consulta7 3
ton of the consuls and naval com@s
manders. he was deported with ten of.
his chiefs to the Marshall Island, The.
Judge and president of the council We're :
relieved from duty, Henry Ide Of Yerz
mont, in September. 1893, being ap-
pointed chief justice and German.
named Schmidt, who had been vice
consul on the islands. was given Won
Piisach's position Since then Chief
Justice Ide has been succeeded by Mr..
Chambers and President Schmidt by
Herr Rose The last-named official is
about to be succeeded by DR.. Solf, a
German.
Although the agreement Of 1889 con-
tanned a provision that its terms were
open to amendment in case they should
be found imperative or impracticable,
no radical amendments are publicly on
record as having been made since THAI :
time. AS far as the text of the agree
ment is accessible. it appears that the
powers of the chief justice in deciding
disputes are absolute and are not sub .
ject to ratification by the three gov-
ernments.
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