The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-11
English Commissioner Tells of the
Troubles There.
HISTORY OF THE STRIFE
REPORTS FORWARDED TO vARI-
GUS GOVERNMENTS.
Mataafa's Return Confidently With
the Death of the Then Ruling
Monarch Malietoa Was Produc-
tive of Much Disorder-Work
Done BY the Commissioners.

C. N. E. Elliott, secretary of the
British embassy at Washington, ID. c.,
and one of the commissioners appointed
to examine into the condition of affairs
in the Samoan islands, passed through
the city yesterday on his way to Wash
ington after a long stay in Apia.' Mr..
Elliott was at the Knutsford yesterday
afternoon and in an interview gave a
summary OF the causes that led to the
establishment of joint protectorate
by England Germany and the United
States over the far eastern islands.
There are two large islands, COM
paratively speaking" said he, in the
Samoan group; the island of Tutuila,
which contains the American harbor of
Pango Pango, and the island of Upola
with about 500 British and German
residents Previous to 1889 the Samoan
group was presided over by a king
elected by the people, the seating of the
monarch was invariably the signal for
internal strife, and a general rumpus
and the shedding of blood followed.
The lives and properties of the for
eign residents were endangered at such
times, and so they petitioned their res
pective governments to form joint
protectOrate over the group which they
did in 1889 A treaty was made with
the SamOans in that year in which the
three nations were to exercise a pro-
tectorate, enthrone Malietoa as king,
and quell any disturbance that arose.
Despite the protectorate, the celebrated
Mataafa broke loose, and with the aid
of little German connivance, sue
ceeded in making a vast amount of
trouble for everybody. He was ban
ished from the islands in 1894.
Allowed to Return.
I'm 1898 he was allowed to return and
unfortunately his return conceded with
the death of King Malietoa. Then
there arose a bitter struggle for the
throne between Mataafa, backed by the
Germans, and the son of the late King
Malietoa. backed by the English and
Americans. According to the original
treaty the dispute was referred to
Chief Justice Chambers who decided in
favor of the young son of the late king.
Mataafa Immediately broke loose, and
resisted the decision by force of arms
and established provisional form of
government with himself as ruler on
Jan. l, 1899.
"On March 6, Admiral Kautz arrived
on the warship Philadelphia at Apia.
The admiral Immediately proceeded to
uphold the decision as rendered by
Chief Justice Chambers, and with the
assistance of the British warships and
marines threatened to lombard the
town unless the authority>of the young
king was recognized. A skirmish fol-
lowed in which two American officers
and one British officer were killed. The
news of the disruption did not reach
Washington until a months time had
elapsed owing to the isolated position
of the islands and the fact that there
is no cable or Geographic form of COM
municationin that portion Of the world.
Commissioners Named.
1.-THE three governments then ap-
pointed commissioners to investigate
the actual condition of affairs, aad ia
structed them to proceed to the islands
at once. The United States appointed
Judge Trip of Yankton, South Dakota,
who formerly lived in Salt Lake, and
who taught your Governor Wells his
rudiments. The German government
appointed Baron Sternberg, secretary
of the German embassy at Washington,
and / was instructed to act as the
commissioner of the British govern
ment.
I'VE made a critical examination
into the existing state of affairs in the
islands and decided to abolish the king
ship as the best means to put a stop
to the everlasting internal strife. When
we arrived at the islands we found two
hostile tribes ready for the. signal to
destroy each other, the presence of the
warships in the harbor had a good
moral effect upon them when we pro-
ceeded to carry out our determination
to disarm them. We took about 1000
rifles from the hostiles and compen-
stated them liberally; the rifles are now
in San Francisco.
THE commissioners have made their
reports and forwarded them to their
respective governments for approval or
such action as they may see fit to take.
Our recommendations are: to abolish
the kingship and appoint an admin
istrator assisted by three delegates, one
from each of the governments repre-
scented in the protectorate. And then
it is proposed to leave the minor de-
tails of local government to the chief
of each district holding him RESPONSE
BILE for the proper discharge of his
duties.
1.-The remains of Robert Louis
Stevenson lie buried on top of a high
hill behind the city of Apia. 1 visited
the spot before left for the states"