The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-07
Hostile Natives In Samoa Lay Down
Their Arms.
ARE WILLING TO SUBMIT
THEY BOW TO THE AUTHORITY
OF THE COMMISSION.
Germans, For the First Time, Act
With the Representatives of the
Other Powers-Warships Prepar-
ing to Leave the Island-Mataafa
Blames Europeans For Trouble.

Apia, Samoa, May 81 (via Auckland,
N T.. June 6.)-Malietoa and Tam
asesese have visited the members of
the Samoan commission on board the
United States transport Badger and
Mataafa visited them the following
day. Neither of them was recognized
as king.
Mataafa blamed the Europeans for
the trouble here. The commissioners
informed him that they had power to
establish government with or with
out a king. Mataafa thought the
Samoans should have king but eX-
pressed Willingness to disarm his FOL
lowers and leave the matter in the
hands of the commission.
The Germans acted for the first time
in many months with the representa-
tives of the other powers and have Of
ficiallY sent a guard ashore.
The naval authorities and the mis-
sion societies have submitted their
views to the commission and the lat
ter, by proclamation, fixed May q as
the date for the natives to surrender
their arms. Mataafa. however, asked
for an extension of the time until to-
day when he surrendered 1880 guns on
board the Badger. Malietoans are now
disarmed
The United States cruiser Philadel-
phia. flying the flag of Admiral kautz
sailed May q, and the British and Ger
man consuls Maxse and Herr Rose
proceeded to Europe May u. The
queens birthday was celebrated with
great rejoicing, about 5000 men strong
of the Malietoa party attending the
festivities at Melinuu in the presence
Of the British consul and naval Of
ficers The graves of the British and
al a
Germans who were slain in the battle
of Fagalt in 1879. The Americans fired
a salute over the German graves.
Natives Gaining Confidence.
The natives are gaining confidence
and are freely submitting their griev-
ances to the commission. The natives
brought here from other islands at the
time of the disturbances will be re-
turned to their homes and all the war
ships will probably leave Samoa at an
early date.
Chief Justice William L. Chambers
will continue the sittings of the
supreme court. DR.. Wilhelm Solf, the
newly arrived German president of the
assumed his duties.
The commissioners are reticent but
il is understood they are considering a
reduction of the cost of the adminiStra-
ton as established by the Berlin
treaty. and that the number of Of
ficials may be reduced.
The residents of Apia express dis
satisfaction at the evidences given by
the commission that the rebels will not
be punished and that they will also
be paid for arms illegally imported.
They consider this bad precedent but
it is admitted this is too early to criti-
ciZe the action of the commissioners.
The American engineering staff has
arrived here and Will proceed to erect
a naval jetty and coal stores at Page
Page. Judge Mullan the former Amer
lean consul has arrived here to con-
duct the compensation claims and de-
fend Mataafa But the commission
has intimated that no notice will be
taken of the claims beyond recording
them, and it is possible the commission
will ask each power to compensate its
own citizens or subjects, as the case
may be.