The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-17
Rights Ignored by American and
British Forces.
THE USUAL LINE OF KICKS
Asserts That No Notice Was Given OF
the Bombardment-Rioting by Fol-
lowers OF Malietoa Tanus-An
Explanation OF the Trouble,

| private letter from Apia concerning
events there in March, as viewed en-
tirely from the German side of the
question. The letter was written by
prominent German and is of interest
IN that 1t gives for the first time the
German view of the state of things now
existing in the Samoan islands.
The letter begins with a complaint
that no regard whatever is shown by
the British and American forces toward
the Germans. The bombardment has
been announced to begin on Wednes-
day' March IA, at p. M, but no notice,
says the letter, was given the Germans
and the German consul general is still
| waiting for the official communication
OF the commencement of the lombard
| ment. The commander of the German
warship Fake was notified by an Off
Ger OF the Philadelphia only quarter
or an hour after the fire had been
| opened. The numerous whites living
in the vicinity of the town had no OPP
portunity to take any measure for their
| personal safety and We're not aware of
what was going on until shrapnel ex-
ploded in their neighborhood. 1t is due,
| continues the letter, only to a merciful
| Providence that no whites were killed
or wounded. In Vailele, cocoa plan
tation belonging to the German Trade
and Plantation company on the after
noon of March 16, six shells fell down
| just around the house. One struck
| through the roof of the house and rent
asunder the floor just on the spot
| where scarcely a minute before the
| master of the plantation had stood.
The same afternoon three bombs were
| thrown upon the Vera mountains, south
| of Apia, where the French mission has
school for native children. one shell
| falling close to the house of the fathers
and another exploding in the immedi-
| ate vicinity of the house Of the sis
| ters.
On March 16 a she'll fired from the
Philadelphia exploded too soon and
19-pound piece of it was thrown into
the building of the German consulate,
wrecking part of it. This event, it is
stated, taught the firing parties to use
| lighted fuse with more caution On
| March IS part of the town and the
grounds in the rear, the letter says,
were searched by an Anglo-American
landing party. strengthened by about
hundred friendly" natives, under
command of Captain Sturde of the
warship Prosper. The expedition land
ed in the Mataute quarter of the town
| before the house of a wealthy French
merchant and after few aimless VOL
ley >. tIe anus men occupied the mouse
of the Frenchman and battered down
under the eyes of the English officers
doors and windows and helped them
selves freely to whatever from the store
they could lay hands upon.
The letter follows up this statement
with a bitter and sarcastic. personal at
tack upon Captain Sturde.
L then proceeds to enumerate the
reasons leading up to the establishment
of the provisional government. which,
it is said, was to remain in existence
until an agreement with the signatory
powers regarding the future form of
the political conditions of Samoa had
been brought about.
The letter continues:
I'm the meanwhile the divisional gov
eminent, under the able leadership of
Mataafa, has maintained such order
and security as under no former gov
eminent. Everybody felt secure of his
life and property, the copra production
in the country commences again and
there were prosperous times coming.
ION March the Philadelphia, under
Admiral Kautz. arrived here, when the
fate of the provisional government was
sealed. Mr. Kautz did not think fit to
try to get just picture of the Samoan
situation by extending his inquiries as
far as possible. Chief Chambers, who
through his partial judgment, is prln-
cipally responsible for the present
troubles, the English consul Maxse and
Commander Sturde were his crown wit
nesses. A great many Germans well
informed on the conditions and more
particularly the German consul general
from the beginning We're not cons1d-
cred. The American consul did not
deem it worth while to give the matter
a serious thought and complacently ac-
quiesced in the proposals Of Maxse and
Sturde. On March I a conference of
the three consuls with the admiral took
place on board the Philadelphia. when
the German consul protested against |
the plan of the admiral to expe1 and
completely dissolve the provisional gov
eminent and to this end use the full
force of men-of-war.
I'm vain the German representative
explained to him that the country was
in condition Of perfect tranquility and
that there was no reason why they
should not quietly wait for the decision
of the treaty powers.
"On March - Admiral Kautz issued
his proclamation and did not state in
the Samoan text that all the consuls
were agreed as to the proceedings
against the provisional government.
'The German representative resolved
not to have the German warship- Fake
participate in the impending butchary.
issued his counter. proclamation. The
Mataafa men were not allowed the |
least time for consideration. They
evacuated Mulinuu, the seat of the pro-
visional government, on Monday. |
March 8, but were already shot upon
when they, on Wednesday, had not left |
the territory of the municipality. IN
order to frighten the Mataafa men still |
more, all the Tanu men, though very
little inclined to fight against their own
people, were armed by the English with
rifles and plenty of ammunition.
Among the victims of the present
fighting are also five brave marines, |
and it is a pity to say that if not all, |
yet most of them have lost their lives |
through the dullness of their own com |
rades. That such things may happen |
is only too easily explained. Officers |
and crews in consequence of continued |
guard and patrol service, overexcited |
and nervous. lose the rest necessary for |
the handling of fire arms. If a leaf |
rustles in the night. if an animal
moves. Immediately the guns are fired. |
Al