The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-03
PROBLEM OF SAMOA
AMERICAN AND BRITISH RESI-
DENTS REGRET ACTION OF THE
THREE POWERS
REBELS ARE NOW DANGEROUS

Already GIoating Over the Power
Iessness of the American and
British Defenders-RObert Louis
Stevenson's Widow Paints a Pen
Picture of the Horrors of the
Bombardment of Samoan villages.
WELLINGTON, N. T., May 2.-Advices
from Samoa indicate that the instructions
received from the powers to cease hosti1-
tiles makes the situation in the islands
serious, as the rebels hold the main food
supplies and are again near the muni-
cipality of ApIa. The correspondent Of
Reuters News agency thinks it is evil
dent that the home authorities have mis-
understood the situation in Samoa. The
Germans and the rebels are already ju-
bilant, and claim victory over the
British and American forces. The CORES
pondent says that unless the rebels are
made to submit the difficulties will re-
main unsolved. The white people in the
outskirts of the city are already for the
rebels. The American vice consuls store
at Fali1 was looted last week, while a
German store adjoining was left un-
touched.
British and American residents all
strongly condemn the action of the pow
ers in ordering a cessation Of hostilities
at this stage. Two days after the last
battle at Vailema, Lieut.. A. r. Gaunt,
of the British cruiser Porpoise, marched
his brigade into Vailima, unopposed, and
was followed by a company of blue
Jackets under Capt. Sturdee and Lieut..
Cave. Inspection Of the battlefield shows
that the defenses. occupied by thearebels
near the home of the late Robert Louis
Stevenson were strong and well-planned.
The loss sustained by the rebels, 1t is
evident, was much greater than was at
first supposed. The main section of
Mataafa's S followers who were engaged in
the battle of Vailima, retreated west
ward to Lulumoenga, where they lay in
wait for friendlies Orders had been given
them to capture Lieut.. Gaunt's head
The rebels were also anxious to secure
the superior weapons with which his
brigade is armed.
1t is rumored that thirteen boats filled
with armed rebels are approaching from
the east. The town appears to be safe.
WASHINGTON, May 2-It is denied
officially here that any undue restraint
has been imposed upon Admiral Kautz
Which should encourage the insurgents
in Samoa. On the contrary, Admiral
KautZ has been advised that the presi-
dent supports him in all that he has
done; that he is entirely satisfied with
mis- conduct, and the only injunction laid
upon the admiral has been to avoid un-
necessary bloodshed. This injunction Is
not understood to restrain the officer In
any way from such military and naval
operations as in his opinion are neces-
sary to protect fully the interests of the
United States, British and German resi-
dents in Samoa, but 1t is expressly un-
derstood that Admiral Kautz Is present
simply for the purpose of CARRYING out
the treaty obligations as to the interests
OF the signers Of the tripartite agree
ment, and not as a representative of any
one power.
So far no advices have come to either
the state or navy department on the
date of these press dispatches, hence it
is assumed that no events of very great
Importance have occurred warranting
the sending of q cabiegram by either Ad-
miral Kautz or United States Consul Os-
borne.
LONDON, May 2-Robert Louis stevn-
sons widow has written a letter to the
Westminster Gazette from Funchal,
Madeira, on the bombardment of the
Samoan villages by British and Ameri-
can warships, Mrs. Stevenson says:
President Mckinley allowed no firing
on Cuban towns unless they gave active
cause of offense, and Commodore Watson
was ordered not to attack undefended
Spanish cities. Does the president keep
his humanity for civilized countries
alone?"
Mrs. Stevenson declares that the Sam
oan villages are inhabited in time of war
by noncombatants who have to choose
between the shells of warships and "tak
ing to the bush" Under such conditions.
she says, delicate women can hardly ex-
list, while children die like flies. Mrs
Stevenson's letter concluded as follows:
"Chief Justice Chambers has been rep
resented as saying in a letter to his
brother: never was happier He must
be a person singularly devoid of imagin
alton If he never pictured to himself the
scenes being enacted in the lombard
ment of those villages; the exodus of
panic-stricken people, rushing hither and
thither; shells bursting everywhere; the
cries of bedridden and helpless wounded
people burning alive in their blazing
houses; women in the pangs of child
birth, mangled children crawling on the
sands, the sea before them and the bush
behind them. And we read that the
woods were also shelled Who is to be
held accountable for these deeds that dis
grace both England and American"