The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-17

Washington. April IA corresDondent
in this city for Il leading German news
paper has received an interesting private
letter from Apia concerning events there
| in March, as viewed entirely from the
German side of the question The letter
was written by Il prominent German and
! is of interest in that it gives for the FIRST
| time the German view of the state of
things now existing in the Samoan ISL
a=ds.
The letter begins with q complaint that
no regard whatever is shown by the Brit
ish and American forces toward the Ger
mans The bOmbardment had been an
nOunced to begin on Wednesday, March
II, at l y. m. but no notice, says the let
ter. was given the Germans and the Ger
man consul general is still waiting for the
Otnclal communication OF the commence
ment of the bombardment. The command
er of the German warship Fake was no
titled by an officer Of the Philadelphia
only quarter of an hour after the fire
had been opened. The numerous whites
living in the vicinity of the town had TO
opportunity to take any measures for
their personal safety. and were not aware
of what was going on until Shrapnal eX-
ploded in their neighborhOOd.
1t is due. continued the letter only TO 4
merciful providence that no whites We're
Killed or wounded. III Natlele, cocoa
plantation belonging to the German
Trade & Plantation company. on the af-
ternoon of March 16, six shells fell down
through the roof of the veranda and rent
asunder the floor just on the spot where,
scarcely a minute before, the master Of
the plantation had stood.
INDIsCRIMINATE SHOOTING.
The same afternoon three bombs wcre
thrown upon the Vera mountains, where
the French mission has a school for ma
tive children, one shell falling down close
to the house of the fathers and another
exploding in the immediate vicinity Of
the house of the sisters.
On March 16, u shell fired from the Phil
adelphia exploded too soon and nine
teen-pound piece of il was thrown into
the building of the German consulate,
wrecking part of it. This event, it is stat
ed taught the firing parties to use Il lit
fuse with more caution in the future,
On March 1S part of the town and the
grounds in the rear. the letter says, We're
searched by an Anglo-Amer1can landing
party, strengthened by about 100 'trlend-
iy'' natives, under the command of cap
tain Sturdee of the warship Porpoise- The
expedition landed in the Mataute quarter
of the town, before the house OF wealthy
French merchant and, after lew ann
less Voleys the Tanu men occupied Jhe
house of the Frenchman, and battered
down under the eyes OF the EngllSn OH
GERS doors and windows and, the letter
as Earts, helped themselves freely TO Nldl-
ever from the store they could, in hur-
rv Law hands upon. Then the grounds
we're searched, though in vain, for 4uataa-
ia warriors. The letter follows up TINS
statement Will d bitb'A eN4-N So
sonaI attack on Captain Sturdee-
1t then proceeds to enumerate the rea-
sons that led to the establishment OF tho
provisional government, which lL Is Sdlu,
was to- remain i'll existence until an agree
ment with the Signatory powers regard
ing the future form of the political con-
ditiOnS of Samoa had been DrOuShL dDOHe-
The letter continues:
I'm the meantime the provisional gov
ernment under the able leadership OF
Mataafa, had maintained such order ara
q under former government
Everybody felt secure of his lie and
property the cODra production IN the
country commenced again. anu tneLe IT Tete
signs of prosperous times coming Dach 70
the white traders Nobody VINO repre-
sented material interests wanted a cnanSe
of the existing condition, the British con-
sf1I and his aide Mr.. Sturdee. of course
executed. who. in order TO give vent 10
their dissatisfaction and to demonstrate
the alleged insecurity IlSt ntdIHSd q % Jit,
guard in the British consulate and dld not
give shore leave to the crews Oh tne var
Ships not TO speak of other ridiculous
measures.
ITS FATE WAS SEALED.
ION March the Philadelphia, under
Admiral KautZ, arrived here Wnen the
fate of the provisional government was
sealed Mr. KautZ did not think mt to try
to get a just picture of the Samoan sltua-
ton by extending his INQUIRIES as lar as
possible Chief Justice Chambers, VINO.
through his partial judgment. is pr1ncl-
pally responsible for the present troubles
the English consul, MaXse, and COM
mander Sturdee were his crown witnesses:
The great many Germans well informed
on the conditions of the country, anu
more particularly the German consul gen
eral from the beginning We're not coIiSld-
cred. The American consul did not ueeHl
il worth while to give the matter a serl-
Gus thought. and cOmplacently acquiesSeU
in the proposals of Maxse and Sturdee.
ION March IL a conference OF the three
consuls with the admiral took place on
board the Philadelphia, when the German
consul protested with due energy against
the plan of the admiral TO eXpel ana conf
Dletely dissolve the provisional govern
ment and use to that end the Wnole force
of the mcn-of-War- In VAIN the 'Telhlsth
representative explained 70 MN tndL inc
courtrv was in condition of perfect
tranquility and that there was no reason
why they should not quietly wait 1or tne
decision of the treaty powers.
ION March u Admiral kautz issued his
proclamation, and did not state in the
Samoan text that all conSulS were not
agreed as to the proceeding against the
provisional government.
''The German representative, firmly re-
solved not to have the German warshlp
Fake participate in the impending Dutch-
ery. issued his counter-proclamatiOn. The
Mataafa men We're not alloWed tne leasL
time for consideration They evacuated
Mulinuu. the seat OF the provlsslq3na.l 3li. GOV. gov.
ernment on Monday. March 3, but We're
already shot upon when they on WedneS-
day had not yet left the territory or the
municipality In order to fr1Snten tne
men. though very little inclined to fight
against their own people, We're armed by
the English with rifles and plenty Of am
munitiOn.
INNOCENT VICTIMS FELL
among the victims Of the present
fph+inrr are also five brave marines. and
If is A pity to say that, if not all. yet
most of them have lost their lives through
the dullness Of their own comrades That
such things may happen is only TOO easily
explained Officers and crews, in conse-
ouence of the continued guard and patrol
Service over-exercised and nervous. lose
the rest necessary for the handling OF
firearms If a leaf rustles in the night.
if an animal moves, Immediately the guns
and arms are fired; in short. there IS an
incredible waste of ammunition.
''Of course, as was to be expected. the
anti-German element in Samoa is already
now eagerly at work to make the German
consul RESPONSIBLE for everything. on the
ground that he, by refusing 10 partieipats