The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-22
iii Samoa Needs Deli
cate Treatment.
MINOR OFFICIALS.
They Are the Chief Cause
Of Apprehension.

Washington, Jan. 21.--While the sit
uaf5on in Samoa is regarded officially
ais requiring delicate treatment, one of
tho parties to the exchanges that are
taking place expresses the opinion that
It will certainly yield to calm discus
sion, and that a satisfactory under
sanding will be the outcome.
The danger apprehended is the ire
SENSIBLE action of some minor officials
m Samoa, beyond the immediate con-
troll of the authorities at Berlin Wash
i1Hton and London. So far as the last
reports indicated, the issue between the
German representatives and the Ameri-
can and British representatives in
Samoa, had not developed beyond al
point where it could be readily adjust
ed upon mere statement of the ac
tual facts, for it is still believed that all
parties to the treaty are willing to live
up to it's provisions.
All of the parties to the treaty are
laboring under a lack of exact informa
ton as to what actually occurred at
ADia- The statements coming from
american and German sources vary in
some most important essentials, or at
least aforementioned facts that
would largely qualify the matters of
complaint. 1t is not known here just
why Mataafa was disqualified by Chief
Justice Chambers, nor just why the
provisional government was recognized
by the three consuls after that legal
disqualification.
me most important fact that the de-
partment of state is confident of is, that
the question of the succession to the
fhrore was submitted to the chief JUS
tfce This submission of the question
would seem to indicate recognition on
the part of the consuls of the right OF
the chief Justice to adjudicate it and
the treaty expressly binds all three
parties to the obligation to execute the
Judgment rendered by the chief JUS
tice. 1t is not even to be guessed here,
therefore, how the German representa-
kives could have found it consistent
with their obligations under the treaty
to support the Mataafa party to the ex-
tent they did.
AS the Germans appear to make a
point of the claim that by the retire
uleIit of the justice to the British war
ship he vacated his office, it may be set
down as certain that that position cam
not be unhefd as the official was plainly
under duress in his evacuation which
would legally vitiate any claim that he
had Surrendered his Office
assuming that the trouble at Apia
has passed its acute stage and that it
will be adjusted satisfactorily by such
measures as are required, there Will
remain the readjustment in the imme
diate future of the treaty relations of
the three powers relative to Samoa.
The state department always has been
ready to consider faVorably any Sug
gestion looking toward the change of
the Berlin treaty to meet new eXigen-
cies, asking only that the changes be
- H. Il OIL sef
ing the attempt to secure certain re-
suits desired by mere understandings
Between two of the three parties to the
treaty.
In Mr. Olneys administration of the
state department he found himself
obliged to lay this principle down in
clear terms, and the department has
seen no reason since to change it's
position, although there have been sew
efal efforts made to adopt irregular
methods of changing the administration
Of affairs at Samoa, while it is admitted
that Germany has a preponderate|
individual land ownership in the ISL
ands, the treaty gives all three powers
equal rights in political matters
AS much turns on the accurate
abatement of the facts in this case, the
following may be accepted as the Off
&icial German view of the situation as
sent here from Berlin:
1.-THE old Mataafa government was
overwhelmingly reelected the vote be-
ing to /. But the chief justice an
nulled the Mataafa election and con-
hrmed that of the opposing candidate,
Malietoa TanuS, a son of Malietoa, the
old king, who died recently On Jan.
a short fight occurred between the
two parties, which ended with the
flight of Tanus, his party and Ia
masese. They went on board British
warship. No foreign property was in
jured. The three consuls-American,
British and German-decared Mataa
fa's party as the provisional govern
fnent until the arrival of instructions,
from the powers. The chief justice
also took refuge on board the British
man. of-war, which caused the Samoan
government to declare his election tenn
porarily suspended. His office was
closed temporarily by proclamation
The foregoing presents important diff
ficulties to the view thus far accepted.
In particular, 1T presents the view that
the three consuls-German American
and British-acted together in estab-
fishing a Mataafa provisional gov
eminent; that the Samoan government
and not the German consul deposed the
chief Justice; and that the office of the
CHIEF Justice was closed by a proclama-
ton from the Samoan government. 1t
also states that the three consuls are
acting together, pending instructions
from the powers
In the main, the official dispatch from
Samoa bears out the press reports, all
though the German position that the
consuls of the three governments acted
together in declaring a provisional gov
ernmept differs from the other re-
portstt
The conferences between Secretary
Ha-and the British ambassador have
led to q very full discussion of the nlu
tual interests of the two governments
concerning Samoa. Thus far, however
Sir Julian Pauncefote has not received
ary instructions as to acting Jointly
with this government, and the confer
ences have been simply to discuss a
question III which both officials felt a
common interest.
At the several large embassies most
directly Interested, the opinion is quite
positively expressed that the situation
does not have a warlike aspect tn
was pointed out by one official that the
probable course would be either a. re-
pudiation by Germany of the action Of
her CONSUL. or else move to have ths
! triragtite agreement changed so as TO
permit 4 more expeditions management
Of S4fatan affairs.