Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-11-28
our new PACIFIC ISLAND
Tutuila's Importance to the
Transpacifc Commerce.
VALUABLE AS A OOALING STATION


Finest Hnrbor In All the Pacific
Ocean-It Is Landlocked and Can
Easily BE Defended From Land or
Sea.
Tutuila, the Samoan island which
falls to the United States in the recent
arrangement completed between Ger
many and England, subject to ratl-
tication by the United States govern
ment, becomes an extremely valuable
addition to the possessions Of the Unit
ed States in the Pacific With but a
small area and population, which, &C.
cording to the treasury bureau Of sta
tstics, are but 81 square miles and 1 900
persons, it possesses the most ealu-
able island harbor in the south Pacific
and perhaps in the entire Pacific ocean
namely, the harbor Of Pango-Pango.
Commercially, the Samoan islands,
singly or as group, are unimportant
so far as their local production or con-
sumption is concerned, but extremely
important in their relation to the COM
merce Of any nation desiring to culti-
ard, who was sent by the United States
government to the Samoan islands to
arrange for treaty with reference to
the harbor Of Pango-Pango, said:
'"The capacity of this harbor Is sufn-
cient for the accommodation Of large
fleets; landlocked, it is safe from hur
ricanes and storms and could easily be
defended from land or sea attack at
small expense. From a naval point of
view it is the key position to the
Samoan group, and likewise to central
Polynesia, and is especially located for
the protection Of American commerce.
The Samoan archipelago is by reason
of it's geographical position in central
Polynesia, lying in the course Of yes
sells from San Francisco to Auckland,
from Panama to Sydney and from Val
paraiso to China and Japan, and from
being outside the hurricane track the
most valuable group in the south Pa
cifc. Situate half way between Homo
lulu and Auckland, Pango-pango would
be most convenient stopping place
or coaling station for vessels or steam
ers either for supplies or the exchange
Of commodities. With the Pacific mail
steamers making it port for coaling
1t would necessarily become the con-
trolling commercial place In that part
of Polynesia"
The above statement. made by Mr..
Coward in 1887. applied simply to the
harbor Of Pango-Pango, and its impor-
lance increases with the occupancy
and complete ownership Of the entire
island by the United States and be-
comes additionally important IN view
of the control by the United States Of
the Hawaiian and Philippine groups,
the prospective construction Of an
isthmian canal and the rapidly grow.
ing commerce between the United
States and the great markets Of Asia
and Oceanica, which buy annually
more than a billion dollars worth Of
goods, and nearly all Of this Of the
class Of merchandise which the PEG.
pie Of the United States desire to sell.
The interest Of the United States
in the Samoan islands. and especially
Tutuila, which now passes completely
under our control, provided the agree
ment of Germany and England is rat'-
fed by the United States. began in
1872, when Commander Meade Of the
United States navy made a treaty with
Maunca, the great chief Of the island
Of Tutuila, by which the port of Pango-
pango was to become the property OF
the United States on condition that
friendly alliance be made between the
island and this government. President
Grant, in a message sending the treaty
to the United States senate in that
year, said:
"The advantages Of the concessions
which the treaty processes to make
are so great in view Of the advan-
tageous position Of Tutuila seaport as
a coaling station for steamers between
San Francisco and Australia that
l should not hesitate to recommend
it's adoption but for the obligation OF
protection on the part Of the United
States which 1t seems to inply.'
This "obligation Of protection was
afterward modified by the senate,
which then ratified the treaty, which
in turn was accepted by the Samoan
chief, the final treaty was signed on
Jan. Z, 1878. and the ratifications ex-
changed on Feb. IS by which the right
to establish at Pango-Pango a station
for coaling, naval supplies, freedom of
trade, commercial treatment as a ia
yored nation and extra territorial con-
sular jurisdiction We're secured to the
United States. The extension OF Unit
ed States control over the entire Island
according to the plan proposed by Ger
many and Great Britain would con-
summatc the wishes expressed by the
chief of the island in the draft or the
treaty forwarded to the United States
in 1872 and thus bring the people of
the island into closer relations with
this government for which they asked
on that occasion.
The port Of Pango-Pango was. shortly
after the treaty. surveyed by the Unit
ed States government, and coaling
station was established last year. In
considering the value of Tutula and it's
harbor of Pango-pango 1t is proper to
add that the Samoan naval disaster OF