Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-29
PROSPECT IS GOOD FOR MORE TRoU-
BILE THERE SOON.
JUSTICE CHAMBERS HAS QUIT
HE is DISSATISFIED WITH COMMIs-
sIoNERs' ACTIONS.
They Refused to Support Him in Up
holding the Authority of the Su-
preme COurt-Commissfon-
ers Are En- Route to
United States.

SAN FRANCISCO. July 2s.-samoan ad-
vices, under date of July II, were received
to-day by the steamer Moana as follows:
| The situation in Samoa is one of great
| uneasiness, the attitude of the natives be-
ing far from reassuring. Several fights
nave occurred In different portions of the
| Islands between supporters of the rivals for
the kingship, and several natives have
been killed. Nothing much seems to have
| been accomplished by the high commission
since arms to the number of 400 were SUR
| rendered by the contending factions. Chief
Justice Chambers. being dissatisfied with
the support extended TO his court by the
commissioners, will leave to-day for WASH
ington. Their action in refusing the aid
asked for to sustain the courts authority is
said to have been prompted by dispatches
| received by the German commissioner from
his home government, which, it is claimed,
is greatly displeased with the recognition
of the decision of the supreme court in
the kingship case.
The commissioners have been we'll re-
ceived on all the islands they have visited.
AT Tuluila, the natives were prepared to
faccept the proposed abolition of the royal
office and the substitution of an executive
| appointed by the three powers. AT Sapotu-
lifia, the headquarters of Lanati, that
chieftain was defiant in manner, indicating
| future trouble. At Safune, the only place
where the natives took a prominent part
in the proceedings, there was fight with
axes, knives and stones In the presence of
| the commissioners, one man being severely
wounded. The trouble was caused by the
meeting of parties of Mataafa and Malietoa
men. who were bearing food offerings to
the commissioners. The outcome of all
these conferences is a mass meeting being
held to-day at Mulnuu point, where the
| leading men of both sides are discussing
the future government of the islands.
| At Safata, on July 4, some Mataafa men
attacked the home of an opposing chief
named Taamui, who, with two others, was
badly wounded. H. NJ. S. Torch went to
the scene. but quiet had been restored.
Last week the chief justice issued orders
to certain towns In Sanaii to appear before
the supreme court in certain civil cases,
| where the judgment of the court had not
been complied with. Chief Lanati ordered
them not to obey, telling the towns to pay
no attention to the orders of the court
| which were only words on paper Some
towns did not appear. while from the re-
manning ones only Malietoa men appeared.
The Mataafa men openly defied the court.
The chief justice then asked the commits
sioners to support his authority with war
ships If necessary, and on their refusal he
decided to leave Samoa.
The commissioners expect to sail for the
United States on the Badger on July 16
After the return of the British warship
Torch from Satafa, the Malietoa men
/ there took offense because the persons
who attacked Chief Taamui's house on
July had not been punished, and made
an attack on some of the followers of the
rival chief, Suatele, one being killed and
several wounded, two of the latter being
Suatele's adopted sons. One of these died
later in the German hospital in Apia.
The warships Torch and Cormoran
steamed again to Satafa and arrested two
Malietoa chiefs and one Mataafa chief, who
are now lodged in jail in Apia pending an
inquiry into the matter. The men-of-war at
present here are Tauranga, Torch and
Cormoran.
| Mataafa has never been In Apia since
he visited the commissioners on the Bad
ger at the time he agreed to surrender his
arms. This he claims he has done and he
accepts without reservation the abolition
of the kingship
Mataafa complains that Tamasese and
his immediate supporters have remained in
the neighborhood of Apia. After his abdi-
cation, Malietoa Tanu intended to go to
1 Sydney and remain there for some time,
and the Torch was put at his disposal to
a carry him far as Fiji, where his sister,
the Princess Famaiui. is living, but, act
ing on the advice of his chiefs, he decided
to remain in Samoa.
President Solf took over office on June
TO- and Immediately had trouble with Vice
King Tamasese and Chiefs who considered
that. although Tanu had abdicated the
kingship, they still constituted a Samoan
government.
The commissioners were appealed to and
they requested the chief justice to see the
Malietoa chiefs and try to settle things
amicably. This he did, and the chief left
Mulnuu point and the residence of the
late president. Dr. Solf occupies the res
idence now at a rental.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 8-Chief Justice
w. L. Chambers, of Samoa. arrived here to-
day on the steamer Moana, accompanied
by his family. He is on a four months
} leave of absence, but says that his busi-
ness in the United States is of such a ma
ture that he will not probably return to
In an interview the chief justice said:
''All is now quiet in Samoa, but l can
not answer for the future Both Mataafa
and Malietoa affect to be satisfied with
the present arrangement which abolished
the office of king and vests the RESPONSE
, bility of government in the consuls of the
three powers. feel sure Malietoa is sin
cere in this. Though fairly elected. and
election aGceptng the tk,ngship he
soon as the commission arrived he pro-
posed to resign. spirit which after proved
| to be in accordance with the plans of the
| commissioners, and have every reason to
; believe that he will live up to his bar
gain.
.Mataafa is ambitious. For many years
he has thirsted for power, and will not
be so easily satisfied. At the same time
he is a man of exceptional ability, Is
shrewd and l have never thought tine in
terests of the natives would especially suf-
! fer in his hands.
Yes, my decision has been sustained by
fact in a proclamation.
with respect to the future I can say
: little. There is the problem. In its work
: the commission has endeavored to elimin-
l ate from the original arrangement all feat
! ures that have appeared faulty or weak.
I Those sections have simply been
struck out, leaving nothing in their
places. What will rob the whole doc
ument of proper effectiveness is the tri-
partite treaty under which 1t will have to
operate. / am sure that no government
in Samoa will succeed under such an ar
1 rangement The sooner the powers see
better for all concerned"
VIII BE Back by School Time.
f TOPEKA. July 2s-(special) According
L to letter received by J. A. Ramsey, OF
Topeka, to-day. from the war department
THE Kansas troops will sail from Manila
about August 10. Mr.. Ramsey has so-
with the Twentieth, and he wrote to the
e department that he wanted his boy tc
come home and enter college this fall. The