The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-15
ora INTEREST IN SAMOA.

OF H INTEREST ~ SAhOA"
The Samoan Islands have been source
OF trouble TO this country ever since it has
had anything to do with them, aud il has
got very little profit out of them. 1t was
in 1872 that our Interest in Samoa began.
\ Kue of steamships had been established
between San Francisco and Australian
ports. and it was decided that coaling
station for the benefit of this line, at a
point about midway on its route, was
necessary. Commander Meade, in the war
ship Narragansett, was sent to Samoa 20
see If a station could not be obtained on
one of the islands. He visited the island of
Tutuila, the third In size of the Islands.
At that time it was governed by chief
who recognized no authority greater than
his own. Commander Meade made an
agreement with him by which the United
States were to have a station in Page
Page bay, on condition that they
would give him protection against
his enemies at home and abroad.
Gen. Grant was President at the
time and he did not wholly approve
the agreement In a message to the Sem
ate in regard to it he said that 1t ought
TO be approved provided it were modified
In some important particulars. 1t was sub
sequently modified so that the United
States were relieved from giving the chief
of the island the protection he had origin
ally demanded.
Having obtained a foothold in the Islands
We have remained there ever since. But
at no time was there peace there until the
treaty of Berlin which was negotiated in
1889 and it didn't last very long then. The
Germans were there when we planted our
flag at Page Page and they. protested Wig
orously against our remaining there. 1t
was the intention of the German govern
ment to annex the islands as soon as IL
could see its way clear TO do so. The Eng
lish also had a foothold In the islands and
their interests were larger at that time
than those of the Americans and Germans
combined. In the troubles which followed
| the English sometimes acted with the
Americans but more often with the Ger
mans. On more than one occasion the
United States were offered the protector
ate of the Islands by the King, but they
| never accepted the offer.
In 1876 President Grant sent as our agent
to Samoa to confirm our right to the har-
Dor of Page Page a man who was known
as Baron" Steinberger. 1t turned out
that he was a secret agent of the Ger
mans, and he used all of his influence to
secure German supremacy. He overreach-
| ed himself, however, in some of his plans,
and was forced to leave the Islands. In
| 1878 a treaty was concluded between the
| United States and Malietoa, the King of
| the islands, by which our right to Page
| Page was confirmed. At the same time
Malietoa negotiated treaties with England
and Germany and the consuls of the three
| powers recognized the government of Ma
lietoa.
1t is unnecessary to follow the changing
| phases of the situation in Samoa from
that time until the Berlin treaty was made.
There were quarrels and wars between
rival chiefs, and complications to which
the Americans, English and Germans
were parties as their interests influenced
them at the time. The Berlin treaty
| guaranteed the independence and neutral
ity of the islands under a tripartite agree
ment that vested the three rival nations
with equal powers at Apia, the capital
of the islands. Malietoa was then made
the King. Mataafa-the same Mataafa
who is the chief cause of the present trou-
ble-refused TO acquiesce very long in the
action of the powers and inaugurated a
war in which many lives were lost.
Everything. however, didn't work
smoothly under the new arrangement
There were continual differences of one
kind and another, and in 1898 supple.
mentary agreement was made between the
treaty powers in which it was set forth
that no action should be, taken by war.
ships to enforce decision of the Supreme
Court before the powers had concluded
consideration of such decision. 1t seems
from the dispatches that it is on this sup
Elementary agreement that the German
government depends to show that Admira
Kautz acted without authority when h,
opened fire on Mataafa and his follower.
without first having obtained the consen
of the German consul.
|
Social squabbles are attracting the at
tenton Of Washington. 1t is alleged tina