The San Francisco call., 1899-04-02

q
VI sends the following: Official in
! Y formation from Samoa shows
that the German Consul General
was at the bottom Of the recent trou.
BILE in the islands, resulting in the kill
ing of an American marine and British
sailors, and eliminating in the bonn
bardment of the followers of Mataafa
by American and British warships
Secretary Hay made public this
afternoon an official dispatch from
Rear Admiral Kautz. received by the
Navy Department to-day, and COM
municated to the State Department. 1t
was dated Newcastle, n. s. w, March
80. From this dispatch 1t is believed
the action Of Mataafa's followers in at
tacking the American and. British
guards was the direct result Of an in
cendiary proclamation issued by the
German Consul General, and that to
this extent the German Government,
through its representative, is response
BILE for the attack and for the subse-
quent bombardment
Officials of the administration are
much dispIeased at the action OF the
German Consul General, and 1t is be-
lieved that when the German Emoas-
sador called at the State Department
this afternoon Secretary Hay ac-
ouainted him with the displeasure of
this Government in rather positive Ian
guage.
1 also have reason to believe that the
Secretary told ambassador Won hole
ben that, pending the final settlement
of the future government of the island,
the United States would expect all Ger
man officials in the island to be gov
erned by the action of the majority OF
the Consuls 1t is hoped by thesadmln-
istration that the German Government
will send instructions to the German
Consul and the German naval comman-
der which will result in the main
tenance of modus vivendi, pending
final settlement of Samoan affairs, by
which the government will be admin
istered by the majority of the Consuls
until the arrival of the High Joint Com
mission representing the three govern
ments, which is to determine the fu-
ture government of the islands. AS the
American and British Consuls are act
ing in harmony, this would put the gov-
ernmeht into their hands for the time
being, and Mataafa would have to sub
NIT to it or make war upon the. two
governments Officials here do not be-
lieve that the German Government
would go to the extent of attempting
to uphold Mataafa by force.
Dissatisfaction is felt at the attitude
of the German Government, as we'll as
at the action of the Consul General.
Tt has been evident for. some time that
the: German Government, while; pro-
Tossing the utmost friendliness, has
been trying. to create an impression
that American and British officials, and
not the German. representatives, have
been responsible for the trouble in Sa-
moa. Press dispatches from Berlin.
evidently inspired speak of american,
explanations" intimating that, the
American Government had done some
thing calling for an explanation. They,
also intimate that Rear Admiral Kautz
has been reproyed from Washington,
thus giving the impression that the
course Of the rear admiral was not sat-
isfactory to the American Government.
It is, of course, unnecessary. to say that
the American Government has not
made any explanations, and that Rear
Admiral Kautz has not been reproved.
"A dispatch was sent to Admiral
Kautz yesterday, before his dispatch
was received, directing him to- preserve
the status, quo and avoid, if possible,
any friction with the natives or with
the German Consul This was in no
sense a censure Of the rear admiral,