The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-31
THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

II looksras1 If we had gone pretty deeply
into the business of slaughtering savages
and half-civilized peoples. We were hard
at work bringing the Fnipinos to terms
when the announcement was made that
our guns had been turned upon the Sa-
means. and that some of them have been
killed and many of them wounded
The cause Of the trouble In Samoa was
fully explained in our dispatches several
weeks ago. and 1t seemed to us, from that
explanation. that the chief justice of the
Islands. an American, was responsible for
the out break OF hostilties. There were
two candidates for the throne, Mataafa
and Maletoa Tanus. Mataafa is a chief
OF prominence and favorite with the
great majority of the people. He has
been leader for a long time. Malietoa
Tanus is a youth of 16 and, because Of
his age is not eligible to the throne. Be
fore the election, 1t is alleged, the chief
justice said there was no difficulty In the
way of Mataafa's occupying the throne,
If elected, and II is understood that he ex-
pressed the same opinion in respect to
Malicious Tanus. Mataafa was elected
by an overwhelming majority, and then
The chief justice decided that he was not
eligible, because when the treaty of Ber
lin was made, Bismarck requested that
Mataafa should never be permitted 10 be
king. 1t seems that on one occasion Ma
taafa had participated I'm the killing of
some German sailors. Bismarck's re-
quest, however was not put into the
treaty.
But, Notwithstanding the fact that Bis
marck had once expressed his opposition
to Mataafa, the German officials in Samoa
favored him for king. Therefore the Ger
mans became arrayed against the Amer
leans and the English, and that is the
position which the three Powers occupy
in respect to each other now.
II was hoped, when the trouble first oc-
CURED, that England, Germany and this
country would get together and settle 1t,
and there were indications that this hope
would be realized Germany was willing
to concede something. and so were the
United States and Great Britain. 1t was
understood that Germany was ready to
recall her consul general, who had contrib
uted a great deal towards compllcating
the situation, and it was expected that
the United States would recall the chief
justice. England was also TO do some
thing towards eliminating troublesome
factors from the problem.
The action taken by the commanders OF
the American and British war vessels may
undo all that has been done towards peace
Germany may now make demands that
will be so extreme as to endanger the
peaceful relations existing between her
and this country and Great Britain. II is
hardly probable, however, that Germany
wilTrisk a war with the United States and
Great Britain for what little interests she
has in Samoa. Indeed, the interests of all
three nations in those islands are of such
small consequence that they ought not to
be permitted to disturb their peaceful rela-
tons. Still, it Is the unexpected that hap
pens, and a public sentiment may spring
into life in each of the three countries that
will make a satisfactory adjustment of the
trouble extremely difficult. 1t is to be
hoped, however that common sense, rath-
er than passion, will dominate in the dis
cussion of the matters al issue.