Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-31
Tho Samoan Outbreak.

volleys of charging volunteers in the
Philippines, as they push through jun
giles and over rivers to the insurgent
capital, there is heard the booming of
heavier guns far off in the southern
Pacific where an American warship
with ships of Great Britain at its side,
is firing shots that echo around the
world. The outbreak in Samoa was not
unexpected. The war cloud has been
hanging over the group, and its break
| ing brings on storm whose results
| sled.
| There is no cable connection with
Samoa and the news of the fighting
and bombardment comes from Auck-
land, New Zealand, over 1000 miles
from the Samoan capital Later and
more direct dispatches and the official
reports will give more details and may
put new face on the situation. but
there seems no reason to doubt the
there had been cable to Samoa the
bloodshed and trouble would have been
escaped.
Several days ago, in the interests
of peace and amity, the German gov
eminent proclaimed that it withdrew
its support of the pretensions of Ma
oh a
tains Just before this proclamation
but all unknown in Berlin-Admlral
KautZ of the United States flagship
Philadelphia and the commanders OF
the British cruisers Royalist and Por-
poise. after careful investigation OF
the controversy had determined that
the welfare of all concerned demandeu
the dismissal of the provisional gov
eminent. Admiral Kautz, as senior
officer of the treaty Powers. therefore
commanded Mataafa and his chiefs to
return to their homes. Mataafa set out
to obey this order and all might have
gone well, had not Herr Rose, the IT.
|
the real cause of the original quarrel,
suddenly ressued his proclamation up
holding the provisional government.
This encouraged the Mataafas to re-
turn. to surround Mulinu. and to lay
siege to it. Thereupon Admiral Kautz
took measures to defend the town
and threatened the Mataafans with
bombarimcnt of their villages If
they broke the peace. In spite of
this warning the Mataafans attacked
the town and assailed the American
and British consulatcs Thereupon
the Philadelphia, the Royalist and
the Porpoise shelled several hostile
villages and burned them.
1t appears from the Auckland dis
patches that the fighting is by no
British are standing loyalty together,
while the German consul is help
less because he has no German war
| ship All this bloodshed in the far
away Pacific archipelago is deplora-
BILE, but there is small risk that in
ternational complications will result
from it. Admiral Kautz has acted
strictly within his instructions
which have been communicated to
Berlin. The hot-headed German con-
sui is solely responsible for the UNI
fortunate situation. He has upheld
Mataafa in ignorance that his home
government had abandoned the mis-
chief making chief, to his own devices.
Berlin will unquestionably recall Herr
Rose when his misconduct becomes
known, and replace him with better
balanced representative.
But this Samoan affair has given
vivid proof of the dynamite which
turks in joint international protect
crates Moreover. it furnishes the in
spring spectacle of the American and
English flags flying over warships
which are fighting side by side against
common enemy. 1t is spectacle
which will cause the nations of the
world to do some deep thinking.