Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-06-04
THE SITUATION IN SAMOA.
Affairs are Running Very Smoothly in
General Way,
ALTHOUGH MATAAFA is BUILD
ING FORTS AND STRENGTHEN
ING HIS POSITION, SAYS HE
WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE TANU
AS KING, AND THAT HE WILL
FIGHT TO THE BITTER END.

APIA, Samoa, May 10, via San Fran
cisco, June 3.-When Admiral Kautz
issued his proclamation on April 231,
directing Mataafa and his following to
keep beyond certain defined limits
around Apia, the prescribed district
covering an area of twelve miles long
and six miles broad, followed by a
notification to Mataafa that unless the
rebels were outside the prescribed linz
its in twentyfour hours, fire would be
opened upon them wherever they could
be reached, this ultimatum brought
about an immediate and unconditional
compliance with the admiral's direc-
tons.
From that time up to date there has
been no conflict with the rebels. Capt.
Sturdee, of H. M. S. Porpoise, accompa-
MED by Rev. William Huckett, of the
London Mission Society as interpreter,
paid the rebel camp at Falenla visit
the day following, and in order to
avoid mistakes in the future went over
the boundary line with several Ma
taafa chiefs, who promised to keep the
peace until the commission had had
time to act.
The district which the rebels have
evacuated is quite large enough to sup
ply food to the Malietoans in Apia, and
thus one of the great difficulties of the
naval authorities has been overcome.
Since the rebels went to Falenla,
strong patrol of 700 or 800 men daily
make the round, seeing that all is
quiet and that no lootlng or damage
is being done by the Malietoa follow
ers. Several cases OF footing have been
reported, and where it has been pos
sible to find out the offenders, they have
been severely punished. The damage
caused by the friendlies has, however,
been very small in comparison with
that caused by the Mataafars, not one
twentith part. The large fort at Lo-
topia has been destroyed by the Nellie
toans, and it is reported that Mataafa
is highly enraged at this, claiming that
in the event of his wishing to return to
the same. after the commission had
made known its decision, he ought TO
have been allowed to do so. In the
meantime, he is building forts inland
of the town of Falenla, and his follow
ers stoutly declare that even if the
commission are unanimous against him,
he will never acknowledge Tanu as
king, and will fight it out to the bitter
end.
These assertions may be only talk,
but as far as we can judge here, the
question of the kingship does not seem
to lie within the scope of the commits
sion. Tanu has been publicly crowned
by the American and British authori-
ties here, and has been saluted with
royal honors by both the Philadelphia
and Tauranga, on the occasion of his
coronation and of his formal visit at
the warships since the armistice has
been in force. His chiefs and Tam,
asese, the vice king, are carrying on the
government in way that performs all
the functions of good and stable gov
eminent and they are in possession.
GOT HIS REWARD.
BERLIN, June 3.-Commander
Schoenfelder, of the German warship
Fake, which was at Samoa during the
recent troubles there, has been decor
ated with the Order of the Red Eagle,
of the third class, with the ribbon and
crown