The San Francisco call., 1910-10-23


had entered the club in company with two naval
ren-a British commander and American of sim
liar rank The were friends of years stand
Ing and both had been in that unfortunate affair in
Samoa which had been the elimination of the tri-
party control of that hotbed of diplomatic intrigue
While we were slipping our drinks of the
tables party of half dozen of that rotundity
which seems inseparable from idea of German
entered the club and took table near ours
Commander Blick the American, suddenly and
shook hands with one of the newcomers and then
came back to US. I noted that his face
thoughtful look
BACK to Samoa"
The Englishman stared angriiy IN their direction.
"I would as soon shake hands with snake" he
exclaimed q wonder what rascality he's up to
now?"
"7Who is he?" / whispered.
"He is the head of German firm in Samoa"
Blick returned aloud. "He was Bismarcks weapon of
revenge that put all three of the contesting powers in
the same boat. He allowed our expedition to walk
into carefully laid ambush when word from him
would have saved US
"He was spy and should have been hanged as such
after our. defeat Fangalli," Commander Wilson
claimed
you must not forget Wilson" Blick returned
calmly, that Germany although actually fighting
- .e - III ;,+e-4e ,,d -,,-,oeas or- e,en,v The
situation was paradoxicaL Why foreign war was
not the outcome OF that long intrigue is difficult
understand. Germany had spent years in endeavor-
ing TO bring about an intolerable situation which
would prove the hopeessness of the triparty gov
ernment. She had always found England and Amer
lea lined up against her. She had sacrificed
than 20 of her sailors in the which 90 seemed
doomed failure. Klinger had seen these innocent
fellow oountrymen slain by savages melted by acts
of men of our races. Was it natural that he should
have mercy in his heart for US"
- can't understand reason sufficient that would
justify white to do such dastardly act as his
at Sunga that day." Wilson insisted angrily "He
could have remained mute; then maybe might
have blamed him so much, but to appear willing to
in my opinion, beyond the pale of civilization. It
makes him much a savage as any Samoan"
WHAT STEVENSON MISSED
Tell the story" / urged for l saw that Blick
could shed new light upon complicated tangle which
had some years ago attracted the attention of the
whole civilized world
The immortal Stevenson" Blck began thought
fully, could tell all of the cruel ntrgues of the
foreigners despoil the childlike Samoans of their
lands and eventually of their liberty He did not half
tell of the subtle, almost devilish Vaccinations of
the German firm backed by German warships; of the
spefu interference of the English and the humorous
tricks of American naval officer that came near
running the Germans well laid plans by showing them
, up ridiculous in the eyes of all.
"You, Wilson only the eliminating event of
that long intrigue You boy in knee breeches
when Germany first put in motion its carefully
thought program which eventually gave them the
two richest islands of Samoa-Savaii and Upolu,"
Blcl continued, while was even then midshipman
OF nearly years standing and yet we are now of
equal rank That is the difference between promotion
in our two services
1T was on August "A, 1887 that Germany made her
first strike against the liberty of the Samoans Lau-
pepe or Malietoa he called, had been chosen
king by his countrymen. The unfortunate Laupepe
had shown himself partial to Germany, repre-
sented by the German firm, Laupepe voted
persona grata, and marked for exile
AS Stevenson aptly puts it, the German of
waited as the burglar waits till the patrol gets
by When the mail for Sydney had sailed and the
eyes Of the world withdrawn and Samoa plunged
again for period of weeks into her original island
obscurity,' Germany opened up her gun ports and I
fhowed her eager hand Laupepe his way