The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-03
The True Story of Important Recent
Events in Samoa.

The reports of German policy respecting
Samoa are alternately OF outrageous ag-
gression on the part Of the Berlin Govern
ments agents and Of apparently i'm
pulsively generous demonstrations on the
part Of that Government itself, like the
sudden withdrawal OF the Kaiserin Augusta,
for instance, and the conciliatory request
that the United States shall look out for
German interests at Apia.
1t is as impossible to ignore the signif-
canoe Of the acts Of the German Govern
ment's agents and servants in Samoa as it
Is unpleasant to discredit the sincerity of
the protestations of the German Govern
ment through its higher diplomatic repre-
sentatives. The results are confusing, in
consistent, contradictory. The true motive
Of Germany, the handspring OF German
action in Samoa, is likely to remain in dark
ness until illuminated by future events
and the same thing may be said of the Ger
man performances at Manila, and some
other incidents OF the general policy OF
Berlin in the Pacific.
The recent conflict OF interests at Samoa
has been overshadowed in some degree by
the larger international questions occupy
ing the attention of our Government and
people. Yet for two reasons the Apia affair
OF 1899 deserves the most careful investiga-
ton and the closest study at Washington.
One reason is that the assertion OF Amer
lean rights in, Samoa, ten years ago, at
the time when the proper maintenance
Of those rights brought us mighty near
to actual war with Germany, was our
first notice to the world that this nation
considered that it's flag had a place in the
great ocean west ofus The original Samoan
question was the prelude to the annexation
OF Hawaii, to the acquisition Of a foothold in
the L%adrones, to the retention of the Philip
pines, and to the whole policy of expansion
which has now been so clearly fo: mulated
by President MCKINLEY. Admiral DEWEY
and the fortune OF war. The other reason
for keeping Samoa In sight is that
this nation is directly responsible for the
peace and good government OF those islands,
under the tripartitc agreement embodied
in the treaty OF Berlin; and that tie
responsibility and duty OF Mr.. MCKIN-
LEYs Administration are in no way modi-
fed by the circumstance that Mr.. CLEYE-
LAM and his Secretary of State, Judge
GRESHAM, did their utmost, during the
second term Of CLEVELAND, TO evade the
responsibility and ignore the duty.
From two prominent participants in the
occurrences following Chief Justice CHAM
BERs's decision in favor OF MALIEToA TANU
and against MATAAFA and his German
promoters and supporters, we have re-
received elaborate narratives. One yer
sion comes from a person strongly i'm
pressed with the justice OF the deci-
sion which led to the outbreak, and
the rightfulness of the attitude assumed by
American and British officers. civil and ma
val. The other version comes from a source
not German, but sympathizing strongly
with MATAAFA and the German side OF the
present controversy. As might be sup
posed, the two stories conflict frequently
with regard to matters of fact, and abso-
lutely and irr%econcilably with regard To
matters of inference or opinion. Nevcrthe-
less, they are both useful in separating from
the tangle the main facts about which there
is no question.
On the last day OF last year Chief Justice
CHAMBERS decided, after an investigation
and judicial hearing lasting for eleven days,
that although MATAAFA had received a ma
jority of the native votes for King OF the
islands he was ineligible, and that young
MALIEToA TANU, the son OF MALIEToA
LAUPEPA, was the rightful King.
1t may be remembered that the Berlin
treaty OF 1880. to which our Government,
Great Britain and Germany were the par
ties, recognized MALIEToA LAUPEPA as
King of Samoa, and provided that his sue
cessors should be duly elected according
to the laws and customs of Samoa" 1t
established a Supreme Court OF Justice,