The record-union., 1899-06-10
Reports the Situation at Apia as
One Of Quiet,
Awaiting the Results Of the Work Of the
Joint High Commission.
All Parties Agreed to Abide by the
Decision of the Commissioners,
but It Yet Remains to be Seen
Whether the Natives Will Live
I'm to Their Promises.

HONOLULU, June 2.-The United
States steamer Philadelphia arrived
from Samoa yesterday. The Admiral
did not consider it necessary to keep
the cruiser at Apia and she is now on
hel way to Mare Island.
"All parties have agreed to abide by
what the Commission decide, said
Rear-Admiral Kautz this morning,
speaking of Samoan affairs. so much
of which he saw and SO large part of
which he was.
Whether they will keep their agree
ment or not remains to be sI2n, Male
toa Tanu appeared before the Commits
sion several days before we left and
Mataafa the day before we left Three
beats werea sent to bring Malietoa. one
representing each of the three nations.
But he came in his own big war canoe,
accompanied by two others, each con-
tanning about 200 men. The sittings of
the Commission are not public. though
they cannot be said to be secret Still
very little of what goes on before them
becomes publicly known. l think things
will come out all right.
THE situation at Apia is one of quiet,
awaiting the result of the work of the
Commission When the Philadelphia
reached there much disorder prevailed.
Under the Berlin treaty the President
of the Municipal Council is adviser 10
the Kline. Mataafa and thirteen other
chiefs We're in power as provisional
government. Mataafa had been elected
by his own tribes, but had never been
recognized even by the Germans. So
there was no King in power. Neither
was there a President of the Municipal
Council. When DR.. Raffel left, either by
the terms of the treaty or following
usage, the three Consuls took the duties
of President of the Municipal Council.
But as they were not acting in harmony
the situation was virtually that Ma
taafa and his chiefs were exercising
some kind of authority. There was a
great deal of disorder. The Tanu men
were being arrested. There were
| threats and fears of pillage. British
and American officials and citizens had
gone on board the British men-of-war
for safety Germans had gone aboard
the German Fake and German mer-
chantmen for similar safety
In this state of affairs the shelling
of the coast and the fighting that was
done was to prevent the aggressons cf
the Mataafa men, to preserve order and
insure safety One of the principal OBJ
jects was to destroy what might be
termed contraband of war, boats by
which the Mataafa men could transport
large numbers from point 10 point
whore they could inf1ict damage
My orders from the Navy Depart
| ment We're to remain there as long -
thought it necessary. The Philadelphia
is very foul and has needed TO so mi
the drydock for long while. Then we
have large number oc nvsn aboard
whose term of service has expired The
Brutus is there and the Badger Mat
ters are quiet and order prevails. The
situation is in the hands of the Com
mission. Under these circumstances
thought it best to start for San Fran
cisco.
Yes, the reports about our am,uuri-
ton being defective are true, or perhaps
it would be more accurate to say some
Ut it was very old.
I'VE have the bodies Of Laa.;dae and
Monaghan aboard. They We're brave
f. lows
The views of the situation have b, en-
so fully expressed in my dispatches to
the Navy Department that I couldn't
make them clearer if 1 talked all night
I know I have been -oasied in the
States. Still, do not think I am I'M
du'y sensitive, and when the circum
stances are all understood it won't
matter a great deal"
| Shrouded under heavy black tar
raulins and crepe. the bodies of LIEU