The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-19

bridges and roads Were barricaded. On
March % the enemy was sighted at
Maguigi and machine guns and a
seven FOUNDER were used against them.
The friendly Samoans also attacked
the enemy during the latter'S retreat
and several rebels were killed Or
wounded The "friendlies'' carried one
head through Apia, which made Cap
tain Stuart so furious that he went to
the king and threatened to shoot any
man found taking heads. The king
then issued a proclamation forbidding
the practice.
The German Consul wrote to Ad-
miral KautZ asking if two great Christ
ian nations approved of this inhuman
and barbarous practice against the
laws of Christianity and the decree of
the Supreme Court.
The Admiral replied, agreeing with
the Consul as to the inhumanity of the
practice and pointed out that, had the
German Consul upheld the decree of
the Supreme Court of January, there
would have been no bloodshed; that
the custom was an old Samoan one
but first made known TO the world ten
years ago. when the heads of honest
German sailors Were cut OFF by the
barbarOuS chief, Mataafa, whom the
representative of the great Christian
nation, Germany, lis now supporting.
Expeditions i'm armed cutters belong
ing to the Tauranga and Porpoise are
doing considerable execution against
Mataafa'S strongholds along the coast
The British forces are being assisted
by 100 SamOanS. About fOrty-SiX OF
Mataafa's boats and several villages
have been destroyed In the meantime
flying columns are being sent daily
along the roads and through the bush
near Apia.
WASHINGTON, April 12.-The news
from Samoa was received here with a
feeling approaching dismay. There
was refusal on the part of the higher
officials to discuss the sad event. The
Secretary of the German EN- baissy call
ed early in the day upon Secretary
Hay. Neither OF, the officials would
disclose anything as to the nature of
the exchange that took place. The
arrest and retention by the British ma
val officials of a German subject is
one of the most dangerous features of
the controversy. 1t is said that the
Consuls of the three powers stationed
at Apia claim extra territorial jurisdic-
tion, Involving the right to try the
subjects of their respective countries
for any offenses alleged to have been
committed. Under this practice Ger
man Consul Rose may demand the sur
render the German. If the man is
guilty it is considered improbable that
the British Will yield unless upon some
adequate guarantee that he is to be
sufficiently punished. 1t is not be
lieved likely that Rose will make such
promise.
1t is believed that Admiral Kautz
with the cooperation of the British.
will continue his efforts to bring the
rebelliOus natives to terms. This is
not likely to be an easy task, in view
of the somewhat small force at his
command, but it is said the British
Government may accept the PROPOSE |
ton of the authorities of New Zealand |
to send a regiment of soldiers to Sa-
moa. No protest thus far has been /
lodged at the State Department against /
Admiral Kautz.
AT the British and German embas- |
sizes the news of the bloody conflict !
IN Samoa was received with deep con- |
Germ. Sir Julian Pauncefote expressed |
his profound regret at the collision at |
a moment when he had hoped the trou-
bic was in a fair way to adjustment. |
Mr.. Eliot, the British High Commits /
stoner to Samoa, also deplored the !
event. The British officials were quite .
confident, however, that the chances of .
4 settlement would not be destroyed
Oy this affair, although they might be
somewhat embarrassed.
At neither of the embassies had a
word of official information been re-
,eive1, and the Associated Press ae-
counts were, therefore, scanned with
great interest. The German Ambas-
;ador, DR.. Won Holleben. stated that
while he was wholly without official
sdvices, he depply regretted to hear
hat there had been further loss OF
ife. In all diplomatic quarters there
vas a disposition to treat the news
IS grave, but not as disrupting the
)lanS for a settlement