The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-07-08
THE VALUE OF SAMOA,
DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP AND
HOW THE POWERS CONTROL IT.

Germany Twice Has Caused Trouble in
Islands-Trade Small, But Importance
Lies in n Strategic Position on the
Highways of Commerce.
The people, productions and COM
mercial and strategic Importance of
the Samoan Islands are discussed in
the Monthly Summary of Commerce
and Finance, just issued in Washing
ton by the Treasury Bureau of Stats
tics. The islands are located about
two thousand miles south and three
hundred miles west of the Hawaiian
Islands, and fourteen degrees south
of the equator. They lie in an almost
direct line between San francisco and
Australia, and slightly south of the
direct steamship line connecting the
Philippines with the proposed Panama
or Nicaragua interoceanic canal.
Their special importance, therefore,
lies more in their position as coaling
and repair stations on these great
highways of commerce than in their
direct commercial value, their popuIa-
ton being small and their imports and
exports OF comparatively little impor-
lance.
The group consists of ten inhabited
and two uninhabited islands, with ON
area of 100 square miles, and an
aggregate population, according to
latest estimates, of $4,000 people, of
whom over 200 are British subjects,
125 Germans, twenty Americans,
twenty-five French and twenty-five of
other nationalities, while the remain
der are natives, of the Polynesian
race. The bulk of the population is
located in the three islands OF Upolou,
Savaii and Tutuila; the number in
Upolou being $1,000, in Savaii 1850
and in Tutuila 300.
TWELVE ISLANDS IN ALL.
The islands are of volcanic origin,
but fertile, producing cocoanuts, cot
ton,. sugar and coffee, the most i'm.
portant, however, being cocoanuts,
from which the copra OF commerce is
obtained by drying the kernel Of the
cocoanut, the copra, which is exported
to Europe anti the United States, be-
ing used in the manufacture of cocoa
nut oil. The expectation of copra
from the islands in 1896 amounted to
II, 565, 900 pounds, valued at 1921, 1872.
A considerable proportion of this was
exported to the United States; q larger
proportion, however, to Germany,
whose citizens control it's commerce
through trading company, which
has long been established there. The
cocoanut and copra production, how
ever, varies greatly from year to year,
owing to the fact that many of the
cocoanut trees have been destroyed in
recent wars between native factions,
single individual being able, by cut
ting out the crown of the tree, per-
manently to destroy in two minutes
time the fruit-bearing qualities of
trees which require several years for
their growth.
THE GOVERNMENTS,
The governments OF the Samoan
Islands had been from time immemor-
ial under the two royal houses of
Malietoa and Tupea, except ON the
island of Tutuila, which was governed
by native chiefs. In 1873, at the sug-
gestion of foreign residents, a House
Of Mobiles and House of Representa-
lives were established, with MaIietoa
Laupepa and the chief of the royal
house of Tupea as joints Kings. Sub
,equently Malietoa became sole King.
In 1887 he was deposed by the Ger
nan Government upon the claim of
Unjust treatment of German subjects.
who formed the bulk of the foreign
population on the island, and was de-
ported first to German New Guinea
md then to the Cameroons, in Africa,
md finally IN 1888. to Hamburg,
famasese, a native chief, being mean
ime proclaimed by the Germans as
King, though against the protest of
he British and American consuls at
samoa. Mataafa, a near relative of
Ialietoa, made war upon Tamasese
nd succeeded to the Kingship. In
S89 conference between the repre-
entatives of the American, British
nd German Governments was held at
'erlin, at which treaty was signed
y the three Powers, guaranteeing the
eutrality of the islands, in which the
itizens of the three signatory Powers
'ould have equal rights of residence,
-ade and personal protection. They
greed to recognize the independence
the Samoan Government and the
zee right Of the natives to elect their
lief or King aud choose form of
overnment according to their own
Iws and customs.
A Supreme Court was established,
insisting of one judge, who is styled
,e Chief Justice of Samoa, and who {
at present w. l.. Chambers, an {
merican, formerly q resident of the {
tate of Alabama. To this court are
,ferred:
COURTS DUTIES.
First-All civil suits cdacerning
al property situated in Samoa. =
Second-All civil suits .between
atives and foreigners or. between y
reigners of different Municipalities.
Third-All crimes committed by
atives against foreigners or commit !
ID by such foreigners as are not SUBJ
ct to any consular jurisdiction.
The future alienation of lands was I,
,ohibited, with certain specified ex- 2
nptions. The capital was located at G
pia, the chief town of the group of q
lands on1 1a.,l