Evening star., 1899-04-17
GERMAN SIDE OF THE CASE
Extracts From a Private Letter From
Apia.
DethrOnement of Matanfa-NO Notice
OF BOmbardment Given-Al1eged
Wanton Destruction.

A gentleman in this city has received an
interesting letter from a friend in Apia,
Samoa, giving the German side of recent
events in that country. The writer, who
is a prominent German, says in reference
to the dissolution of the provisional gov
ernment:
ION March IL a conference of the three
consuls with the admiral took place
board the Philadelphia, when the German
consul protested with due energy against
the plan of the admiral to expel and COM
pleteiy dissolve the provisional government
and to use to this end the whole force of
the men-of-war. In vain the German rep
resentative explained to him that the coun-
try was in a condition of perfect tranquil
Hty and that there were no reasons why
they should not quietly wait for the de-
cision of the treaty powers. On March u
Admiral Kautz issued his proclamation and
did not hesitate TO state in the Samoan
text that all .conSuls were agreed as to the
proceeding against the provisional govern
ment. The German representative firmly
resolved not to have the German warship
gaike participate in the impending butch
GS. and issued his counter-proclamatio
faa Mataafa men were not allowed the
least time for consideration They evacu-
ated Mulinu, the seat of the provisional
government. Monday. March 13 but
We're already shot upon when they on We'd
nesday had not yet left the territory of
the municipality. In order to frighten the
Mataafa men Still more all Tanu men,
though very little inclined to fight against
their own people. We're armed by the Eng
lish with rifles and plenty of ammunition"
No Notice of Bombardment.
The writer says that no regard whatever
is shown by the British and American
forces for the Germans. The bombardment
had been announced to begin Wednesday.
March IL. at / pm. but notice, says the
letter. was given The commander of the
herman warship Fake was notified by an
officer of the Philadelphia a quarter of an
hour after the fire had been opened. The
numerous whites living in the vicinity of
the town had no opportunity to take any
measures for their personal safety, and
were not aware Of what was going on until
shrapnel exploded in their neighborhOod
1t is dye continues the letter. only to
merciful Providence that no white was
killed or wounded" In Naitele a cocoa
plantation, belonging 10 the German Trade
and Plantation Company, on the afternoon
OF March - six shells fell down just around
the house. One struck through the roof
OF the Veranda and rent aSunder the floor
just on the spot where scarcely a minute
before the manager of the plantation Herr
Tiedemdun. had stood with an overseer
Alleged Wanton Destruction
The same afternoon three bombs were
thrown upon the VOca mountain south of
hPid, where tIe FShSh mission has a
school for native children one shell falling
down close 10 the house of the fathers and
another exploding in the immediate vicinity
of the house of the sisters.
On March 16 a shell fired from the Phila-
delphia exploded too soon and a 19-pound
piece of IL was thrown into the building of
the German consulate, wrecking a part of
H. This event, it is stated, taught the fir
ing parties 10 use a little more caution in
the future.
On March Is part of the town and the
grounds in the rear, the letter says. were
searched b. an Anglo-American landing
party strengthened by about hundred
friendly natives, under the command of
captain Sturdee of the British warship
Iofpoise- The expedition landed in the Ma
tante quarter of the town before the house
or wealthy French merchant and after
Few almless volieys the Tanu men occu-
pied the house of the Frenchman and bat
tered down, under the eyes of the English
oHlcers. doors and windows and the letter
asserts, helped themselves freely to what
ever from the store they could in the hurry
lay hands upon Then the grounds werl
searched, though IL vain, for Mataafa war.
riors-
The letter also SAYS
Among the victims OF the present fight.
Ing are also five brave marines and TX is a
pity to say that, If not ALL yet most of them
have lost their lives through the bullets oi