Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-04-10
Their Commercial and Strategic
Importance.
VALUE OF The PRODUCTIONS
History of Thkir Government and
the Trouble Leading Up 10 the
Treaty of Berlin Ten Years Ago.
The Fine HarbOr of PagO PagO
Ceded 10 the United States
Twenty Years Ago.

Washington, April 9.-GSpecial)-
The people productions and CONNER
cial and strategic Importance of the
Samoan islands are discussed in the
current number of the Monthly Sum
mary of Commerce and Finance, just
issued by the treasury bureau of sta
tistics. The islands are located about
1000 miles south and 800 miles west of
the Hawaiian islands and fourteen de-
grees south Of the equator. They lie in
an almost direct line between San
Francisco and Australia and slightly
south of the direct steamship line con-
Meeting the Philippines with the pro
posed Panama or Nicaraguan inter-
oceanic canals. Their special import
ance, therefore, lies more in their po
sition as coaling and repair stations on
these great highways of commerce
rather than in their direct commercial
value, their population being small and
their imports and exports Of cOmpara-
lively little Importance.
The group consists Of ten inhabited
and two uninh2bited islands, with an
area of 1,700 square miles and an ag-
gregate population, according to latest
estimates, CT 36, 900 people, Of which
something over 200 are British sub
jects, 125 Germans, 25 Americans, 25
French and 25 of other nationalities.
while the remainder are natives, of the
Polynesian race. The bulk of the
population is located in the three
islands Of Upolou, Savaii, and Tutuila;
the number in Upolou being 1866, in
Savaii 1880, and in Tutuila 3,7G0. The
islands are of volcanic origin, but fer
tile, producing cocoanuts, cotton, sugar
and coffee; the mcst important, how
ever, being cocoanuts. from which the
''cOpra" of commerce is obtained BY
drying the kernel of the cOcOanut. the
'copra", which is exported tc Europe
and the United States, being used in
the manufacture Of cCcoanut oil. The
cXportation Of copra from the islands
in 1896 amounted to- 1866. .909 rounds,
valued at 1921, ,372. A considerable
proportion of this was exported to the
United States; larger proper ton.
however, to, Germany, whose citizens
control its commerce through a trad
ing company which has long been es-
tablished there. The cocoanut ard
copra production, however, varies
greatly from year to year, owing to the
fact that many of the cocoanut trees
have been destroyed in recent wars
between native factions, a single indi-
Vidual being able, by cutting out the
crown of the tree, to permanently de-
stroy in two minutes time the fruit
bearing qualities of trees which require
several years fer their growth.
The government of the Samoan
islands had been from time immemo,
rial under the two royal houses of
Malietoa and Tupea, except on the
island of Tutuila, which was governed
by native chiefs. In 1873, at the suq-
gestioE of foreign residents. a house IF
mobiles and a house of representatives
were established, with Malietoa Lau-
pepa, and the chief of the royal house
of Tupea as joint kings. Subsequently
Malietoa became sole king In 1887 he
was deQosed by the German govern
ment upon the claim of unjust treat
ment of German subjects, who formed
the bulk of the foreign population on
the islands, and was deported first to
German New Guinea and then to the
CamerCons, in Africa, and finally in
1888 to Hamburg, Tamas5se, a native
chief, being meantime proclaimed by
the Germans as king, though against
the protest of the British ana AmeIi-
can consuls at Samoa Mataafa, a
near relative of Malietoa, made war
upon Tamasese and succeeded to the
kingship.
In 1889 a conference between the |
of the American Brit
ism and German governments was held /
at Berlin, at which a treaty was signed |
by the three powers guaranteeing the |
neutrality Of the Islands, in which the /
c; tizens of the three signatory powers
would have equal rights of residence |
trade and personal protection. They
agreed 10 recognize the independence
of the Samoan government and the
free rights OF the natives to elect their
chisf or king and choose form of gov
ernment according to their own laws
and customs. "A supreme court was es-
tablished, consisting of one judge, who
is styled the chief justice CT SIm0a,
and who is at present W. L. Chambers. I
an american, formerly a resident of |
the state OF Alabama. To this court
are referred: First, all civil suits con-
real property situated in Sa-
moa; second. all civil suits between