The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-31
Explanation OF The
Samoan Difficulty.


From the Philadelphia Press.
G7 HE Samoan Islands are Just as big
ii as Delaware would be divided be-
tween fourteen islets. and it has
III lust the population of the Seventh
ward (3OOOOD save that the Seventh
ward is one-third cOlOrcd while the Sa-
moan Islands have only 800 white men and
women ana the rest ColOred-dark- brown
and yellow. This is not enough to make
Il fuss and set three Christian nations by
tn ears, and it will not. Tho last Samoan
tight, like its predecessor will be worked
off by negotiation. Meanwhile, the pre-
else object OF Samoa in the international
economy of existence seems to he to give
harmless chance for Great Britain and
the United States to get into the habit of
working together and cheering each 9th
er's flags BY all accounts this seems
again to have been satisfactorily accom-
plished, though with some lamentable loss
of life due to the German consul and his
determination to maintain the irregular
provisional government he had consti-
tuted. BY this time he has heard from
Berlin and discovered how far wrong
an over-zea1ous man may so.
o..
Danger to peace and International re-
latiOns. therefore, does not exist. Where
three are concerned ana two agree, quar-
rels are not pcrilOuS. Thanks to two
wrong headed German officials and ;he
Cumbrous working of the triple CON
dominium,' the teapot politics OF Samoa
have lapsed into the savage Samoan
fashion of the past, which international
law, the convention of Berlin, 1889 and all
the forces of civilization were intended
to prevent. For ten years it has been the
belief of the German colonial party, with
which the German cOnsulS, agents ana
merchants not unnaturally sympathizC,
that if there was row enough in Samoa
10 igTD Nd hn nd
and the United States drop out. This
is unwise, as the event has proved. There
being a row, England and the United
States have not dropped out but drawn
together. Last December the disputed
election for king between Malietoa and
Mataafa, two native claimants for the
Samoan rule, ended in d decision by the
International chief justice just now am
American, Judge Chambers, in favor of
the former. There Is no legal doubt that
this finding was decisive under the treaty.
1t followed such native law, custom and
descent as bear on the case, and was in
all senses judicial decision, provided for
by the treaty under wh'-h Samoa is gov
eTned.
O.
The burden Of report, however, ap-
! pears to show that "a majority OF the Sa-
moan people favor Mataafa, ana the not
unusual issue of legal right on one side
/
| been created. This was fomented by the
! German consul general, Rose, and Raffel
! the president of the municipal council,
and they organized provisional govern
| ment" on the plea that anarchy had
! come and German property required pro-
| lection. First, In January, the German
| provisional government, headed by Ma
| taafa, i'm all its acts illegal, turned out
| the legal treaty made Chief Justice Cham
| bers. He was put back ny American and
! English forces. quiet followed until Rer-
! lin, London and Washington could be
! heard from. Mataafa and his men held
| tho bush and the guns of H. NJ. s. Por-
poise and Chief Justice Chambers held
| the town Early IN March Admiral KaUtz
| arrived on the Philadelphia called the
| consuls together and set out TO enforce
| the decree of the court seating Malietoa.
| This strictly legal act has not been sup
| ported by the German consul and has
! been resisted by Malietoa.
|
! This has led to very exciting times in