The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-26
OTHER PEOPLES NOTIONS
Germans In the Riaht.

To the Editor of The Journal.
king Oscars recent decision leaves it
up to us to find another little million of
dollars to pay the damage inflicted bv our
representatives In Samoa by their CHEEKY.
wantonp. mixing up of the nations flag
and naval forces in that islands domestic
troubles In the early part of 1882 (There
were several hundreds of innocent lives
lost, too, Of, poor natives, chiefly, but
for these we shall likely have to give
scant account before the day of iudg-
ment.) It is worth while to recall. the
origin of this unwelcome bill. In a let
ter to the New York Sun of March 9 of
that year. C. Kunst. a wealthy Germa n,
won't to spend his summers in Apia. says:
AT the bottom Of the whole trouble
is the religious issue. Mataafa IS a good
Catholic, and Malietoa was brought up in
the protestant mission. He is only boy
of Is or 16. though a handsome young fell
low. The protestant mission is carried on
by,a London society: The wife of the
British consul is much interested in It..
Through her the British colony and many
Of the American colony are interested in
it. Chief Justice Chambers. through So
cial affairs. IS possibly Influenced in the
same way 1872 .-."@.''+ =. 49,,
p To this the Sun added: at is almost
the unanimous opinion of passengers on
the Alameda from ,Apia, American and
British. as we'll as German, that. Mataafa
commands the allegiance Of a large ma
jority Of Samoans. and that an attempt
by the treaty powers to put Malietoa on
the throne will prove disastrous to the
peace of the islands. They all speak in
the highest terms Of Mataafa." ...@.-~
So, too, had spoken, already. Robert
Louis Stevenson, who declared Mataafa to
be emphatically strong man, man Of
high virtue, and the only one fitted to be
king in those islands. When the great
hurricane In 1889 destroyed three Ger
man and three American vessels in Apia
harbor, Mataafa led his people to the res
cue and at the risk of their own lives they
saved 100 drowning marines. whilst they
so guarded the shore that not a penny
worth Of the wreckage was looted. His
heroic services then won the public thanks
Of our congress. &, ~, r.. -
Mataafa's claims to the throne were
cumulative and conspicuous. He was the
representative Of the islands ancient
royal race, and he was the free choice of
four-fifths Of the people. His rivals ia
Their, himself. too. the protege and puppet
Of the London mission, was called by the
people "Lanpepa," C''blank paper.")
The United States had specially insisted
on the clause In the Berlin conference Of
1889, according to which the king should
be chosen according to the laws and GUS
toms Of the people Of Samoa
But when this had actually been DONE
what next happened is thus told by Ste
.venson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, once
American vice consul in Samoa: Mr..
Chambers, the American chief Justice, de-
barred EMataafa by bubble. in spite of
his own written words to III. j. Moor
yielding to the opportunities and secta-
rian intolerance of his friends. the Protes-
7tant missionaries. A provisional govern
ment was organized. which. pending a refs