The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-24
THE SaMoaN MIDDLE.

u CCORDING to a dispatch from Berlin the
I \ German Foreign Office in compliance with
petition from Germans in Samoa, mas re-
quested Government to recall Chief Justce
Chambers from the islands and replace him with an
official whose decisions will be more in accord with
German views OF justice.
Even if this report be true it will not mean muCh
than another episode in what has now become
the diplomatic comic opera of the world. The situa
ton is about complicated and as amusing as any
ever devised for the entertainment of the patrons OF
the stage 1t is the outcome of long course OF med
ding and nVdding and amounts to something like
crisis.
Years ago, when the Americans, Germans and
English began their struggle for supremacy IN the
islands, each sought the favor OF the natives and
thereby stirred up little civil between rival fac
tons led by Maletoa and Mataafa. At first neither
the Americans, the Germans nor the English took
any part in the fighting but in other respects they
warmly espoused one side the other and watched
the battle with all the interest of people who have big
bets on the result.
When the war had gone for some time, how
ever Malietoa grew weary of it and petitioned the
British to take possession and annex the group to
New Zealand. Angered by that action the Germans
took arms against the old savage and sent him into
exile A little later the Americans and the English
took hand in the game In the meantime Mataafa
had managed to get into a fight with his German
allies and killed some of them Therefore it was
easy for the three nations agree to recall Maletoa
and, upon the express stipulation OF Germany, Ma
taafa was deprived not only of the crown but of the
right of succession.
Just before his death Maetoa recommended Ma
taafa as his successor and accordingly at the ensuing
election about fve-sxths of the natives voted for him.
The opposition party contested the vote on the
ground that Mataafa is ineligible under the Berlin
agreement and the Chief Justice sustained the
tention. In the meantime however, Mataafa had
made friends with the Germans again, and they are
now as eager to get him into office they were
to get him out.
The Chief Justice claims that he set aside Mataafa
in accord with an agreement made by the three pow
ers at the special request of Bismarck who repre-
sented the German Government. The Americans and
the British sustain the Chief Justice in that view
and claim that what they have done has been done
simply to oblige the Germans and keep agreement
made with the iustrious founder of their empire.
The Germans on the other hand, claim that the
cuson of Mataafa from the succession was not in
corporated in the treaty providing for the govern
ment of the islands, and was merely verbal agree
ment with Bismarck. They assert further that Bis
marck is dead and his politics should be buried
with him. 1t is true they objected to Mataaa,
but now they wish Mataafa and they denounce the
action of the Chief Justice in excluding the vote cast
for him gross tampering with the balot-box.
The situation is this The Germans first sided
with Mataafa then turned against him and induced
the Americans and British to agree he should
rule in Samoa, and they have changed their
minds and wish him to be king The trouble is the
German mind, when exposed to the Samoan climate,
is too tickle 1t looks if they wished to frt with
chief in the islands. and to be welded to