The evening times., 1899-07-10
CONDITIONS IN Samoa
Views of American and English
Residents of Apia.
by One of the Powers
Believed to BE the Only Refuge.
Renewals of Trouble Expected
when the High Commission De-
partS-Maclr mi nations of Germany.

June 16. says in part: b.. -.....-
With but few exceptions. those being
men whose sentiments are influenced sole
! ly through desire TO benefit personally in
a financial way. the American and English
residents of Samoa are at last agreed that
! the only possible settlement OF the Samoan
question is annexation by one or the other
power 1t must come sooner or later, and
IF Germany is to get the country, let
her have it at once The American resi-
dents in Samoa are so thoroughly disheart-
ened ever the past and their dread of the
future in these eDislands that they can see
nothing ahead bat constant trouble with
! out guaranteed security for their rights
and property. They are almost willing to
| give up the fight which they have been
waging SO many years in the hope that the
United States would take some decided
stand and maintain it.
Instead of doing this, however. we
Americans feel that there has been shilly-
| shallying on the part of every Administra-
| tiOn, with a fear to take any decided stand.
! which would give Germany to understand
| that she could go no further than a certain
point without crossing the danger line.
AS a result German machination and
intrigue have continued uninterrupted for
years, with very brief exceptions Is it
any wonder that Americans are weary OF
F, che whole business and anxious to see
1 their country get out of Samoa and leave
| il TO England, which would govern it
properly, or allow Germany to seize the
prey, which it has been SO anxious to OBJ
tain fer so many years?
| The High Commission is working away
and has done some good temporary work.
Ii is now revising the treaty, and the sug-
gested alterations viii be laid before the
Z powers for their approval
Any new form for future government
must necessarily be in the nature OF fur
| ther experiment, and can only end sooner
or later as all former experiments have
doDe-in row. The Germans viii never
keep faith with the other powers.
1T is the opinion of many Americans
here that the United States should draw
out from this Samoan enlargement. We
have the excellent harbor of Pago Pago,
on the island of Tutula. This should be
guaranteed 10 Us entirely, and then let
England and Germany have the rest There
is no doubt that the United States has
stood in the way OF a final settlement all
along for with US out of the way, the
other two powers would have agreed upol
annexation. long ago
NOW. / say throw dSl4c the
view cf the question and let one or the
other of the two powers take the is ands
and pay the expense Of governing them.
AT present, as for years past. the Germans
have been running the place, and the 9TH
ers have stood in on the expenses
There is bound 10 be more trouble here
before very long. You know what the
Samoans are and what they will be up to
when an opportunity presents itself. The
II. Fsa.-. ha do
parture of the Commission, which expects
to sail for San Francisco about the middle
> Of July There will be no ship here
then flying the American flag. with the eX-
ception of the collier Abarenda. which is
expected with supplies for the establish
ment of station at Pago Pago, and as she
is not war vessel and, anyhow. will be at
Pago Pago most of the time while in Sa-
moan waters, she will be of little. if any,
use.
The Germans have warship here now,
having replaced the Fake with the Cor
morant, although the United States and
England have taken away all their war
vessels Germany will therefore again be
, in a position to dictate terms to the Ma
lietoa party when trouble occurs. for
: without the support OF an American or
English war vessel Tanus Will be at the
mercy of the Germans and Mataafa
THE High Commission has asked the
opinion of residents of Samoa as to the
most advantageous plan for the future gov
ernment of Apia- The Commission was
particularly desirous of obtaining the
/ views of William Blackjack. who has been
United States Vice Consul General on sew
eral occasions during the last twelve years
and was acting Consul General during 1885
and 1883, when the war was in progress
between the forces of Mataafa and Tama-
sese.
Mr.. Blackjack. addressed a communica-
tion to the High Commission embodyine
his views Ii is in part as follows:
You will no doubt agree with me that
Samoa's history shows a series of expert
ments and blunders from the beginning
and the never ending trouble has beer
definitely settled every few years. Still
| just often the trouble rolls round again
and Will continue to so long as unprinci-
pied foreigners are allowed to oppose the
officials and stir up insurrection to fur
ther their own selfish ends by bringing
J | warships here to increase trade.
The records of the three consulates
for the last ten years. and of the different
Chief Justices and Presidents, will show
who the mischief makers and disturbers
Of the peace have been during this period
III admit that the reports will not always
be identical in every detail but, taken
right through, you will find that in the
main they agree, and the same persons are
reported by all officials at one time or an.
, other.
You will also find that while officials
are new in the place they appear to gel
along together very nicely, but before they
have been here many months jealousies
arise, relations between them become
strained, and they cease to trust each 9th.
er.
The mode of dealing with the native;
from the beginning by the powers inter.
ested in Samoa has been calculated Il
make the Samoan a most important iudi.
vidual in his own estimation. Stacks O.
proclamations have been posted and end.
: less orders from war5hips been issued bu
) none has ever been thoroughly enforced
and the consequence is that now the ma.
tives ignore proclamations and laugh a
threats of men-of-war. They imagine
themselves unconquerable even by thu
r three powers combined, and every tim.
there is an outbreak they go a little fur.
ther than the time before.
Many suggestions might be made re-
garding mode of future government bu
these must necessarily be mere expert
ments, and / should say the time for ex
e periments is past. What We need now il
a permanent settlement. The only certain
permanent settlement We can get is an
nexation. We all have our own particu
lar choice regarding the power which
! should annex, but that is a secondary con
! | sideration. The fact remains that annex
! alton should take place. and the long ex
listing dog-in-the-manger policy come t
! an end. Which power is TO take the isl
! ands is a question to be settled out of Sa
| moa.' "