The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-10-17
j. S. HAS NUMEROUS
PACIFIC POSSESSIONS
NOT WELL KN D v \

United states acquire the island or zap,
that island will not be an isolated ex-
ample of American proprietorship in the
Pacific" says bulletin from the Wash
ington headquarters of the National
Geographic Society
Everybody knows of the Phillip
pines, but not so many folk know Of
this country's other South Sea insular
possessions small but numerous. These
include Gaum, Wake Midway, and some
( rs of the Guano Islands, not to men.
tion of portion of the Samoa Group"
In the American Samoan islands are
| to be found Americas South Sea sol
| diers, who are described in a commu-
! ncation to The Society by Lorena Mac
! 1ntyre Quinn, as follows:
when thinking of the insular posses
| sions of the United States, we are apt
| to lose sight Of the fact that our flag
| flies over Il group Of six tiny islands
in the South Seas. comprising what
is known as American Samoa. Here
l our government maintains a naval sta
| tion, on the Island of Tutuila, at Pago
Pago one of the finest and safest har,
1 bors in the South Seas.
"In these troubled times it is well
4 TO remember the strategic value of the
naval station at Pago Pago, with its
magnificent harbor and its situation
~ the crossroads Of the Pacific trade
\ rbutes from North America to Austria
liza and from Panama and South Ameri.
ca to the Orient
American Samoa is under the sup.
eryision Of the navy department of the
| United States. The naval officers sta
toned at Pago Pago form the govern
| ing body of Tutuila and the other five
| small Islands. The yoemen among the
| blueiackets are valuable office assist
ants.
The Tita.Fitas, as the native sol
diers are called, constitute an import
ant unit in the government Of Ameri.
can Samoa.
1T would be hard to find a more
\ picturesque body of men than these,
our South Sea Island soldiers. Tall
. broad-shoudered, handsome in features,
possessing splendid poise, they are ad-
. mrable types of their race.
Their fatigue uniform consists Of a
sort of black kilt with a bright red
| stripe around the border. Above the
! waist and below the knees the uniform
is Natures own
"A leather belt carrying a dagger
on the side holds the kilt, or lava.lava,
in place. A bright red turban is the
head.dfess.
For dress uniform the Fita-Ftas
wear with the lava.lava sleeveless
white undervest, similar to the y. Y.
u. or A. B. c. garments graphically
described in the advertising sections
of magazines
when the native soldiers were first
taken into the service of the United
States, less abbreviated and more
conventional uniform was provided
them, with the result that they were
constantly suffering from colds; so
there was a wise reVersiOn to uni
form on the lines Of their native dress.
.."Thc Fita-Fitas have municipal as
v1WtelI as military duties. They act as
! policemen in and about Pago Pago,
guard all prisoners in the Pago Pago
Jail. and frequently are called upon to
settle fights at cricket games between
rival native villages. The last-named
. duty is sometimes sever test for tie
soldier as an arbitrator, especially when
his own village is involved in the con
v'troversy.
when the governor Of American
Samoa makes a tour of inspection OF
ITutulla. he is always accompanied by
lnative soldiers. The Fta-Fta selected
Ito he the orderly on such occasions
holds Il proud position among MS
friends.
The official party is received with
great dignity and formality by the
chiefs of the villages on these tours
as the Samoans delight in ceremony
and speech.making. The reception ac'
Il corded the Fita.Fitas by the pretty Vi
yacious Samoan bellies Of the different
villages is always exceedingly cordial
These maidens. with bronze complex
ions are as susceptible to the fascina-
| ions Of the lava.lava uniform as their
sisters in America are partial to khaki
and brass buttons
THE principal feature of the Flta-
Fita organization is the band. A 1T
lie more than a decade ago the natives
bf American Samoa had never seen
\ brass instrument, but with infinite
1atlence a bandmaster of the United
States navy eventually taught some
bf the Fita-Fitas how to play, with the
result that today the repertoire Of the
Fita. .Fita band covers a wide range
lf classical and popular airs.