St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-02-15
Judge Ide on Samoan Affairs.

an instructive article on Samoa, After
reciting the salient facts in the Samoan
Islands since the advent of Christian
missionaries in 1880. and the conflicts of
the contending factions among the ma.
tives, he notes the formation OF the Berlin
treaty OF June 1889 entered into nv Sa.
moa. Germany, England and the United
States. whereby the independence of Sa-
moa was guaranteed, Malietoa Laupepa
restored as king and two foreign officials,
a Chief justice and the president of the
municipality of Apia, were to be APP
pointed to aid, or practically direct, the
native government, while certain duties
likewise rested upon the three corsus
The weak point Of the treaty says Judge
lde has always been its complicated
character, a wheel within wheel, a
native government theoretically auto
nomous, resilient to advise it, and try
to control it, chief justice, to recon-
mend legislation to the native govern
ment and to be the final legislator in the
municipality of Apia, as well as court
OF last resort, and three consuIs with i'll
defined boundaries of power. Thus in.
stead oil one king there were six. With
such a subdivision Of authority it has
been extremely difficult TO locate respou-
siblity and for any one to secure efficient
and progressive action without finding
some fatal clog or brake in another part
of the machine"
Yet in spite of such drawbacks, Judge
lde asserts that the treaty has given to
Samoa a better government than ever
existed there before. 1t also "periects to
the United States our invaluable rights
in Pago Pago harbor, and gives to us a
foothold from which we can not be
shaken in the only independent group in
ne South Pacific, lying in the pathway
coast and the great Republican empire
growing up in Australia, at which.
doubtless, the Pacific ca bles will find one
oil their resting places, sure to become OF
transcendent Importance when the
Nicaragua canal is constructed. Thus
with Hawaii in our possession, and with
the Philippines under our control, our
country will be in position to take it's
fair and just part in the stupendous de-
velopment now in progress in the Pacific
Ocean. its islands and encompassing
lands"
Under the Berlin Treaty one OF the
rival Samoan chieftains, Malietoa
Laupepa, was in 1889 installed as king.
In 1893 his chief rival Mataaia, stirred
up a rebellion, but was defeated, and de
ported to the Marshall Islands, where he
was under German custodians, who
treated him very kindly and secured con-
siderable influence over him. few
months ago he was allowed to return to
Samoa upon promise to make no
trouble. About that time King Malietoa
ed, and by common acclaim was put
forward by the islanders as his successor.
Judge Ide praises Mataa'a highly, saying
that he is "a man of commanding pre-.
sence, a rulers qualities, gracious man.
ners, and fitted to be king of his people"
We quote the conclusion OF his article
as follows; Zone OF the rival candidates
was Tamasese son Of the old German
puppet King Tamasese. He withdrew
his claims, so far as he had any, in favor
of Maletoa Tanu, the remaining com
petitor. The latter is the son OF the de-
ceased King Malietoa Laupepa, and is a
mere boy stilin school under missionary
control utterly incapable OF steering the
native canoe of state through The turbu-
lent waters OF Samoan politics. The
treaty provides that in case of disputed
election to the throne, the chief justice
shall decide. He decided in favor OF Ma
lietoa Tanu, holding Mataafa to be dis.
| qualified under treaty. As the treaty
makes no such disqualification, the deci-
sion was probably based upon some re-
marks in the protocols indicating that in
1889, when the negotiations were going
on, Germany objected to Mataa'a. and
instead consented to the return OF Malie-
toa. The Chief Justice, Hon. w. L.
Chambers, who is an upright and fair
man, perhaps misappled things said
years ago. but now applicable and not
in the treaty. But there was the de-
cision rendered on the last dav OF Deem
her, and the court had jurisdiction.
But before New Years dav was done,
Malietoa Tanu was in hiding. Tamasese
in boat lying under the sides OF the Brit
ish warship "Porpoise," and all the ma
chnery OF the native government in the
hands Of the adherents OF Mataafa. The
chet Justice retired to the "Porpoise,"
and then the German officials declared
upon the ground that he hal deserted
Samoa and the three powers and gone
to England They therefore installed
the German president as chief justice, he
being authorized by the treaty to act in
case OF a vacancy. These latter proceed
ings were manltestly unlawful and will
doubtless be disavowed by the German
government. The treaty furnishes the
full measure of the rights of ALL and is
our complete safeguard in this episode.
1t should however be remembered that
there are almost always two sides to
every controversy, and we have not yet
heard Consul Roses. He is man of
large experience in the German Foreign
Office and in important stations abroad,
and OF mature age and ability. Judg-
mcnt may we'll be suspended until we
have all the facts, and we can rest
assured that President Mckinley, with
out haste or indscretion, will eventually
cause all our rights and those of the Sd
moan people OF the Supreme Court under
the treaty to be made secure. II Ger.
man officials in Samoa exceeded their
rights, as now seems quite clear, their
acts will be disavowed and they will be
recalled. Let the treaty stand. Let us
hold last to what so many years OF diplo.
macy have secured, Amend it so as to
remedy defects which experience has
demonstrated, but hold on to it, Bur-
lington Free Press.
Important to rlothers.