Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-11-24

Easily be Defended From Land or
Sea.
Tutulla, the Samoan island which
falls to the United States In the recent
arrangement completed between Ger
many and England, subject to ratl-
fiCation by the United States govern.
mcnt, becomes an extremely valuable
addition to the possessions of the init.
ed States In the Pacific. With but
small area and population, which, ac-
cording to the treasury bureau Of sta
ustics, are but 81 square miles and 1000
persons, it possesses the most valu-
able island harbor in the south Pacific
and perhaps in the entire Pacific ocean
namely, the harbor Of PangO-PangO.
Commercially, the Samoan islands,
siEgly or as a group, are unimportant
so far as their local production or CON
sumption is concerned, but extremely
important in their relation TO the COM
mcrCe Of any nation desiring to cult
vate transpacitic commerce. Mr. Cow
ard, who was sent by the United States
government to the Samoan Islands TO
arrange for treaty with reference to
the harbor Of Pango-rango, said:
The capacity Of this harbor is sutti-
Cicnt for the accommodation Of large
fleets: landlocked It Is safe from hur-
ricancS and storms and could easily be
defended from land or sea attack at
s@all expense. From n naval point Of
view it is the key position to the
samoan group, and likewise to central
Polynesia, and is especially located for
I the protection of American commerce.
The Samoan archipelago is by reason
of its geographical position in central
( Polynesia, lying in the course of YES
sells from San Francisco to Auckland,
from Panama to sydney and from Val
paraiso to China and Japan, and from
being Outsld" the hurricane track the
most valuable group In the south Pa.
ciflc. Situated half way between Homo
lulu and Auckland, pango-panEo would
( be a most convenient stopping place
or cOaing station for vessels or steam
ers either for supplies or the exchange
of commodities. With the "a, Tic mail
steamers making it port for Coalng,
/ 1t would necessarily become the con.
/ trolling commercial place in that part
/ of Polynesia"
| The above statement. made by Mr..
Coward in 1887, applied simply TO the
/ harbor of Pang0-Pango, and its impOr-
| tancc increases with the occupancy
and complete ownership Of the entire
/ island by the United States and be
! comes additionally important In view
! of the control 10y the United States Of
/ the Hawaiian and Philippine groups
! the prospective construction of an
! isthmian canal and the rapidly grow.
/ ing commerce between the United
/ States and the great markets of Asia
! and Oceanica, which buy annually
| more than billion dollars worth of
/ goods. and nearly all Of this OF the
| class Of merchandise which the peo-
/ pie Of the United States desire to sell
The interest of the United States
/ in the Samoan islands. and especially
! Tutula, which now passes completely
under our control, provided the agree
ment Of Germany and England IS ratI-
fed by the United States, began in
/ 1872. when Commander Meade of the
! United States navy made treaty with
! Maunga, the great chief of the island
| of Tutuila, by which the port of PanGo-
| pango was to become the property OF
! the United States on condition that
| friendly alliance be made between the
] iplD Il n 10 Siipnt
| Grant, in message sending the treaty
/ to the United States senate In that
/ year. said:
THE advantages Of the concessions
which the treaty processes to make
are so great in view OF the advan.
tagpous position Of Tutuila seaport as
n coaling station for steamers between
San Francisco and Australia that
should not hesitate to recommend
its adoption but for the obligation of
protection on the part Of the United
States which 1t seems to imply"
This "obligation of protection" was
afterward modified by the senate,
which then ratified the treaty, which
In turn was accepted by the Samoan
chief. the final treaty was signed on
Jan I, 1878. and the ratifications eX-
changed on Feb 13 by which the right
to establish at ngo-Pango a station
for coaling. naval supplies, freedom of
trade commercial treatment as ia
vorcd nation and extra territorial con-
sular Jurisdiction were secured to the
United States. The extension Of Unit
ed States control over the entire island
according to the plan proposed by Ger
many and Great Britain would con
summatc the wishes expressed by the
chief Of the Island in the draft of the
treaty forwarded to the United States
in 1872 and thus bring the people OF
the island into closer relations with
this government for which they asked
on that occasion.
The port of Pango pango was, shortly
after the treaty. surveyed by the init,
ed States government. and Il coalng
station was established last year. In
considering the value Of Tutulla and its
harbor Of Pangopango it is proper to
add that the Samoan naval disaster of
1889, In which n number Of naval YES
sells were wrecked during severe
storm, occurred In the roadStead Of
Apia, on the island Of Upolu, and not
In the landlockcd and we'll protected
harbor of pango Pango.
Not to tie Ignored.
The occasional killing OF bandit In