Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05
By WILLIAM EDGAR CELL. ,. R, @. 5.

By WILLIAM EDGAR CELL. y. R. @. 3.
Copyright. 1906. By Church News Association
Why the plural-Samoas2 Simply this
there are two OF them The Germans have
the largest number of the Samoan Islands.
and have held that they alone possess the
privilege of using the name Samoa" but
we have decided that America has as
much right to the old term as anybody
this whiriing sphere. and we cali our Eve
beautiful islands under the southern cross
American Samoa" We are a bargain
making people and when the deal for this
sunny Samoan archipelago was on we sue
ceeded In capturing the only harbor worth
having in the whole batch OF the islands
Here the starry banner floats. where the
navy can ride at anchor however hard the
storm may beat in the South sea- That
reminds me that these poetical islands sum-
mer and winter in the most notorious sea
In all the world In these waters the foul
est murders have been perpetrated the
widest barbarian antics have been seen
land the most INSCRIPTIONS traders have
had their sway. l say have nad, be-
cause they are now baked by the Yankee
War Department These men were in the
habit OF purchasing copra, which Is the
kernel Of the cocoanut after Il has been
dried in the sun. and by tampering with
the scales cheat the natives outrageousiy.
Now the government has stepped in and It
requires that all copra shall be weighed by
government official. This delights the
native and has caused him to hoist US
into lofty position In his worthy regard.
Then. too the American flag protects the
Samoan natives from other men who seek
to do them harm Under this flag no native
can now obtain by purchase or gift any
alcoholic drinks. l have every reason to
believe that this law is being enforced.
Incidentally. we have further provided for
the prosperity and welfare of the natives
by putting In shower baths for them That
consider rather thoughtful. seeing that
they live small islands. which. in COM
mon with other islands / have seen or
heard OF. are surrounded by water. Fur
thermore the Samoans are about the
clearest people on this planet, islanders or
ccntinenters. so I suppose 1t Is best to pro-
vide for keeping them clean.
Only yesterday / was asked: DO the
wild savage tribes who live where white
men have never cursed them with Eu-
ropean frewater. have native intoxicating
drinks? Yes" I replied. They have In
the heart of Africa wine made out of the
palm" Here in Samoa the natives have
drink called "kava," which is used much
as We use tea and with about the same
result. If II is taken to excess the victim
OF his own indiscretion would not become
a quarreler or a murderer, but would sim
unable to move or even to speak. This
has certainly a decided advantage over
whisky and its ilk. Kaya was formerly
made by a pretty young woman chewing
the root and the splitting the juice out of
her dovey mouth into a bowl This was
then passed around to the guestsi When
l was on the islands the more prosaic GUS
tom prevailed of grating the root a nut
meg crater. 1t was then mixed with water
and served from small hand-out ladle. A
foreigner. long resident in the region and
addicted to the use OF kava had such
loose. hard skin that ii seemed to move
all over his body when 1t was disturbed at
any one place
La Perouse who visited the islands In
1857 and who indeed cast his shank in this
very harbor of Panga Pangs. described
the Samoans as ''the most atrocious saw
ages in the universe. whose shores ought
not 10 be approached" Eleven men from
his ship who went to the land in a party
to get water were murdered. But 1t should
be remembered that this was not until after
a native who had come off to the ship had
been treacherously assassinated. II Is now
almost unbelievable that these mild kind,
graceful. music-loving. heroic-looking Is
landers are so recently descended from vio-
lent savages. made inquiries to how
came this miraculous change.
There are 900 villages on the whole aren't
pelago, and in each hamlet lives a college
graduate who pulls the bell rope five days
a week and teaches school, and has 1t
pulled many times on Sunday and breaches
F'orty-nine years after the French navi-
gator had sailed away from these Naviga-
tor Islands with his bad opinion of the Sa-
moan savages six missionaries sailed in,
and today every village has fine church
building, with regular preaching and teach
ing Sunday is even better observed than
1t is in Scotland.
X
One Sunday ] went to church on Tutuila.
the largest island of the American group.
The building Was packed with people. even
under the tablet The singing was simply
tremendous. never heard such a song
several parts with dispatch 1t was SUI
perbly thrilling when the male voices
struck the high notes. II you have never
heard the Samoans sing you have yet to
hear singing. The preacher was a native
educated minister having had four years
at the University of Samoa located at
the islanders. have studied and graduated.
without one cent of contributions from pale
pink people for their support l should
also say this. that every Protestant
church is also school building. The par
son wore white garments and no foot gear.
The sermon was a powerful effort The
fiowery Samoan tongue lends itself easily
to oratory. The two texts were Feel.
xii:9 and xH:1-"Rejoice. o young man. In
thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in
the days of thy youth. and walk IN the
ways of thy heart and In the sight of
thine eyes; but know thou, that for all