The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-06
SAMOA AMP IT'S KINGS.
Misunderstanding S Its DroliH uuaor

never paying back is a universal prac-
tlce. Telling lies is considered quite
the proper thing. Truth is not in the
average Samoan
Commercially the islands amount to
almost nothing Germany holds about
half the trade, with the other half
equally divided between Great Britain
and the United States. The islands are
extremely mountainous and covered
with luxuriant tropical vegetation. The
soil is rich. and the various products
OF the cOcOanut are the main articles
of export.
The prevailing untruth which marks
the current of Samoan life at all times
is not absent in the present crisis. In
the argument before Chief Justice
Chambers in support of the pretensions
of Malietoa Tanumafili, whose name
appropriately enough, means Buried
an ancestral curse which it was assert
ed cut his rival, Mataafa, out from the
possibility of being king. Such dec
laration must have been concocted to
meet the emergency, for it is not found
in the most diligent examination of Sa-
moan history, even as handed down
by the Malietoa clan. who certainly
have no great liking for their hered-
itary rivals. Also, it is to be said that
Mataafa was made king of Samoa only
ten years ago, with the consent of all
in Trouble" his British advocate cited
the Samoans, including Laupepa him
self.
In the last Samoan war. some six
or seven years ago, the battlefield was
not far from Apia. In fact, most Sa-
moan fighting is done within easy run
ming distance Of the protection Of the
white men, who are counted on to
save the heads of many vanquished
hnf olxoe, II -.
affair indeed for the people of Apia,
and there, as elsewhere, familiarity has
bred the usual result Of course it is
war. All the people engaged are care
full to say so. They beat drums and
blow trumpets. In time they go so
rashly far as to shoot off guns. Some
times very few get nit by incautious
shooting, and then a few heads get
chopped off, and it is a victory for the
new owners of the heads and a defeat
for the former proprletors
Here was a Samoan war abundantly
advertised in advance. Several thou
sand men participated with arms, most
ly German Mausers, and yet the casual
ties were less than one in a hundred.
few heads only were taken and dis
played before King Malietoa Laupepa.
His advisers could hardly induce him
to come out of his house to look at the
spoils of war, and when it was discov-
cred that among the heads was that
of girl he tainted dead away. 1t was
never explained to the satisfaction of
everybody just what was the truth
about the beheading of the girl. and
the Samoans are SO ashamed of it that
they lie most artistically to prevent
the truth from being discovered.
he terrible hurricane in March. 1899
destroyed six big warships in the har,
Dor of Apia. Stories of heroism exhib-
tied by American and German seamen
In the crisis called out the admiration
of the word. Three American warships.
three German and one English vessel
We're riding at anchor in the bay of
Apia. A hurricane of unprecedented
fury arose. The seven big ships strove
to reach the open sea. For thirty-six
hours they were beaten up and down
On the sands like toy boats. Only the,
English vessel Calliope was able to
stuff her engines perilously and make
her way to deep water. AS the Calliope
steamed out to safety an irrepressible
cheer broke from the lips of the sea-
men on the American Trenton, while
the ship was sinking and the band was
playing Hail Columbia