New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
GERMANS FACTORING MATAAFA.
AN INCIDENT WHICH MAY EMBARRAss THE
SAMOAN HIGH COMMISSION

SAMOAN HIGH COMMISSION.
Honolulu. June 3 via San Francisco June 10
(SpeciaD.-The officers of the Philadelphia
bring story of an affair which may embarra ss
the Joint High Commission 1t is In regard to
the actions OF the Germans who formed part OF
the escort sent to bring Mataafa before the
Commission The proposal OF the Commission
when II sent for Mataafa was to send boat
representing each of the three treaty Powers
to bring Mataafa and his retinue and TO take
him back. For convenience 1t was decided that
one Of these boats should be a steam launch
so that 1t could tow the other two To the
Germans was given the prestige Of furnish
Ing the launch and II started with cutters from
the American and British vessels in tow II
was the understanding Of the Americans and
the British at least that Mataafa and his suite
should be distributed among these boats. But
when they got to the place appointed to meet
Mataafa they found him all ready with three
large Samoan boats, each capable of carrying
from one hundred to two hundred men, all fitted
up In gay colors, and with the Samoan flag at
the stern OF the largest one Of the three, the
one In which Mataafa himself seated.
In spite OF the objections offered by the Brit
ish and Americans. the German officers took
the three Samoan boats in tow. with the British
and American cutters In tow astern Of all Of
carried generally as though they the
victors in contest
When this strange fleet rounded the horn
that brought them into view from Apia. the
Malietoa people were much alarmed and af-
fronted They took the spectacle to indicate
that concessions had been made to Mataafa
and that he going before the Commission,
not to be nterrogated, but to receive the SOW
ereignty he had been fighting for. When the
German launch pulled up alongside the Badger
Mataafas men began cambering up as though
they taking possession of their own. The
guard at the head of the gangway, however re-
fused to allow them to come aboard, and made
them get back into their boats until the Com
missioners sent word they ready to re-
ceive them. Then only Mataafa and those Of his
principal chiefs who had been specially desig-
mated allowed to come aboard
Meanwhile the British and American escort
ing officers had reported the matter to their
commanding officers. and a protest was sent to
the Commissioners against the appearance of a
large retinue in the harbor unlimited. The Com
missionors at once ordered that the Samoans
to whom objection was made, those in the two
boats should leave the harbor. Mataafa was
before the Commission only an hour or two
and when he departed his boats were towed
back to the headquarters by the German launch
but unaccompaned by any representatives or
British or American warships The Philadel-
phia sailed too soon after this incident to learn
whether or not the Commission TOOK any 1urtner
notice Of II.
There is a general feeling among the officers OF
the Philadelphia that II they had been let alone
for another week or two before receiving notice
that the Commission was coming they would
have brought Mataafa to submission and set
tied the Samoan question In that way. HIS toi-
lowers were getting short Of ammunition, II is
said while more and more OF Malietoas men
were being armed, drilled and officered by Brit
sh and American officers. and were becoming
more efficient and effective troops.
Officers OF the Philadelphia say that Vailima,
Robert Louis Stevenson's old home, near Apia,
was not destroyed, as reported. The house was
struck by a she'll but this went through with
out exploding leaving two round holes. Another
shell tore piece off the roof and smashed the
glass in many windows but the house was not
seriously damaged