The record-union., 1899-04-17
Letter From a German Resident Of
Ap,a.
Claims That Everything Was Quiet
and Prosperous When the Pro-
visional Government Was De-
posed and That the English and
Americans Were to Blame and
the German Consul Right.

WASHINGTON, April 16.-A CORE
spondent in this city for a leading Ger
man newspaper has received an inter-
esting private letter from Apia concern
ing events there in March, as viewed
entirely from the German side of the
question. The letter was written by
prominent German, and begins with
complaint that no regard whatever is
shown by the British and American
forces toward the Germans. The bonn
bardment had been announced to- begin
on Wednesday, March 18th, at i p. M,
but no notice, says the letter, was given
The Germans and the German Consul
General IS still waiting for the official
communication of the commencement
OF the bombardment The commander
Of the German warship Fake was noti-
ned by ain officer of the Philadelphia
only a quarter of an hour after the fire
had been opened. The numerous whites
living in the vicinity of the town had
no opportunity to take any measure for
their personal safety and were not
aware of what was going on until
shrapnel exploded in their neighbour
mood 1t is due, continues the letter,
only to a merciful Providence that no
whites We're killed or wounded In
Vailele, cocoa plantation belonging to
the German Trade and Plantation Com
pany. on the afternoon of March 10Th
six shells fell down just around the
house.
The same afternoon three bombs were
thrown upon the Vera Mountains, south
OF Apla, where the French mission has
a school for native children. one shell
railing down close to the house of the
fathers and another exploding in the
immediate vicinity of the house of the
sisters.
On March 10th a shell from the Phila-
delphia exploded too soon and a 49,
pound piece of it was thrown into the
building of the German Consulate
wrecking7 part of it, This event. il is
stated taught the firing parties to use
little fuse with more caution in the
future.
On March 18th a part of the town
and the grounds in the rear the letter
says, We're searched by an Anglo-Amer-
lean landing party. strengthened by
about 100 friendly natives. under the
command of Captain Sturdee of the
Warshlp Porpoise. The expedition land
ed in the Matuate quarter of the town
before the house of a wealthy French
merchant. and after a few ainless vol
leys. the Tanu men occupied the house
OF the f'renchman and battered down
under the eyes of the English officers
doors and windows, and. the letter as
serts. helped themselves freely to what
ever from the store they could. in Their
hurry, lay their hands on. The grounds
We're searched, though in vain. for Ma
laafa warriors. The letter follows I'm
this statement with a bitter and sar-
casmc PERSONAL attack upon CAPTAIN
Sturdee
1t proceeds then to enumerate the rea-
sons that led to the establishment of
the provisional government, which II is
salo, was to remain in existence until
an agreement WITH the signatorv Pow
ers had been brought about. The LEFT
ter continues:
In the meanwhile the provisional
government under the able leadership
OF Mataafa had maintained such order
ana security as under no former gov
eminent. Everybody felt secure of his
me ana property, the copra production
IN the country commenced again and
there We're signs of prosperous times
coming back to the white traders. No
oody VINO represented the material in
e~ASs'ts NdHltu a cndnge of the eXiSitir
conditions, the British Consul and bis
aide, Mr.. Sturdee. of course, excented
On March 9th the PHILADELPHIA nm
ger ADMIRAL Kautz, arrived here when
the fate of the provisional government
was sealed. Mr.. Kautz did not think fit
10 try TO get a just picture of the sa-
moan situation by extending his inouir-
les as far as possible. Chief .Justioa
chambers, who through his martial
judgment, is responsible for the present
troubles, the English Consul Maxse
ana commander Sturdee were bis
crown witnesses. The great MANY Cor
mans we'll informed on the conditions
OF the country and more particularly
the German Consul General. from the
beginning were not considered. The
american Consul did not deem If worth
While to give the matter serious
thought. and complacently acouiesoed
IN the proposals of Maxse and Sturdao
On March 18th a conference of tbs
three Consuls with the Admiral tool,
place on board the PHILADELPHIA when
the German Consul protested with dino
energy against the plan Of the Admiral
70 expel and completely dissolve the