The San Francisco call., 1899-04-16
THE SAMOAN DIFFICULTY.

Y JON BULOW, the German Minister 1or folelSH
! v Affairs, in his statement of the Samoan ques-
! ton, made to the Reichstag, said: Regarding
the history OF the complications in Samoa, have
made statement to the budget committee and have
particularly pointed out how, since the coming into
force OF the act the triparte treaty. disturbances
and frictions between the representatives OF the
powers have not been lacking
Looked at in spirit of calmness, from the stand
point OF American interests is compelled to Won
der that such an agreement that with England and
Germany was ever entered into at all. The three ma
tons there OF treaty equality, to oversee
and direct the tribal government OF about 10000 ma
tves who have been divided into parties and factions
for many years. Their divisions have been accen-
tuated by the missionaries OF different Christian
creeds and their later rivalres and riots have been
embittered beyond those OF the cannibal days,
by this new factor OF confusion. The kingshp of
those people is something OF but small importance to
the outside world 1t in way influences the crop OF
cocoanuts and its conversion into copra, which is
about the only product OF the islands capable OF being
put in condition to find the distant markets of the
world. German, English and American planters have
plantations there and raise cocoanut and ship the
dried pulp as the material OF an oil that is used
in making fine soaps But, as far known the rights
OF these planters have usually been we'll respected
the rights OF miners and landowners are in other
parts of the world A consular officer commercial
agent OF the three Governments located at Apa, with
instructions to prevent the sale of firearms and FIRE
water to the natives would be able to protect all the
interests OF the three nations The climate is tropical
white labor cannot be employed, and permanent
white colonization is impossible. The natives will
perform only the crude labor of bursting cocoanut
shells with club and gathering the pulp when it has
dried in the sun and separated from the she'll They
wait with he nutS tO
capacity for rest that is admirable Armed only with
their primitive weapons their political feuds might be
fought out with no danger to the few white
planters and storekeepers than is incurred by the
audience which yels at a football match from the safe
distance of the beachers.
There have been some ridiculous adventures in
government before, but hardly any equal to the one
undertaken by us and our two partners in Samoa
Great warshps OF the three nations sweter and shine
in the tropical at Apia and each one costs the tax
payers annually as much as the value OF the entire
trade OF the islands secured by each country. The
three representatives of the three partners, having
nothing else to do, indulge in native politics. When
Germany shuts out our pork or refuses our dried
peaches in fear of the San Jose scale our representa-
tive in Samoa feels it his duty to incite evil among
the natives against the representative of our German
partner.
When German jealousy looks with yerdant eye
upon our feats in the Philippines the representative
OF the Kaiser whispers hatred into the particular
Samoan that he controls. So the jealousies and
rvalries OF the three Governments, their trade de-
vices, policies and competitions, focused and
compressed within the borders of Apia and
the natives are converted into enemies or partisans
OF the American hog and dried peach. No wonder
that Won Bulow has taken the budget committee into
his confidence in the matter of these rictions and
difficulties.
AS for the Samoans they are suffering from being
governed too much and would gain greatly if left
themselves with the sole injunction that they must
not eat each other. They have as much right to in
dulge in dynastic battles as the English had to
luxuriate in skul-cracking during the Wars of the
Roses or we to have our quadrennial mud singing in
Presidential campaign. 1t is to be hoped that Ger
many tired enough of the business to propose that
all three pull out of it, for it is likely that the United
States and England would be glad to do So
1t should be noted that are falling into the COM
mission habit the result OF these outside complica-
tions. We have had Hawaiian Commission to re-
port a government for those islands, and its report
is sleeping on the files OF the last Congress- We
have a large commission in the Philippines waving
the olive branch desoation created by our
great guns. Commissioners have gone to the West
Indian islands, and now Commissioner is on his way
to Samoa, there to meet the Commissioners OF Eng
land and Germany, under instructions to be unani-
nous nothing.
The Samoan business has brought us as near to
war with Germany were to war with Spain two
years ago, and Mr.. Hull, chairman of the Military
Committee OF the House, has announced that the
people out in Iowa have a thirst for German gore
1t is to be hoped that common sense will prevail
and that the three great countries will least show
as much self-control as the Samoans