Evening star., 1921-09-05
TREATY DISPOSAL
OF SAMOA RESISTED
Part Formerly Ruled by Ger
many Prefers British to
New Zealand Mandate.


Reported desire of Samoans formerly
under Germany to be assigned to Great
New Zealand, as provided in the peace
| treaty. is Of interest 10 Americans, since
| the other half of these far-away Pacific
| islands belongs.to the United. States.
1.-The romantic glamour more recently
! cast about the Marquesas has been at
! tached to Samoa ever since Robert
| Louis Stevenson penned his 'Footnote to
| History and 'Vailima Letters" says a
| Lulletin from the headquarters in this
city Of the National Geographic So
ciety.
! Other visitors than Stevenson sing
most extravagant praises of Samoa $
charms. New Zealand soldier pic
lures one OF the archipelago, as AN isla nd
where a heavy odor of green foliage
perVades the air: where there is laugh
ter at the bathing pool and mellow har-
| monies at the meeting places; where at
every turn the eye meets the CLINT of
the sun on warm, placid waters or tray-
els dangerously along the graceful lines
OF magnificent brown men and women
Natures Queer Franks.
Unusual physical features have much
! to do with the happy first impression
samoa makes upon its guests. The
island are surrounded, in large part.
by coral reefs. These mark out the
! ribbons of placid water-canals of ame-
| ,hystine biue-which skirt the shore
lines.
! "On Savaii. largest island of the group,
| rs a volcano which began an eruption in
i3Oo and continued four years Volcanoes
are responsible for the queer syphon eff
\ fects along the exposed coast of Tutuila
ana the southern shores of Savaii. Lii
| quld lava cooled in masses oyerhangs
! Ihe ocean. forming caves with vertical
| nssures. Giant pillows beat upon these
| caves, forcing water and air to emerge
In soda fountain fashion, through the
! upright tunnels
Jet black rocks mark part of the
Tutuila coast and the white foam
OF the breakers against these affords
| another striking natural spectacle.
| me nrst enemy territory to be
occupied by the British in the world
war was Samoa. Upon arrival of
New Zealand forces the Germans an
nounced they would neither sur
render nor resist. Announcement was
made in the reichstag that the pearl
OF the Pacific had been invaded
Ihe people of the island add to its
| lure-Whether it be the natives. pure
! Polynesians of splendid physique and
| character unspoiled by alien stock
or the beachcombers, those living
! story books Of The south seas.
Natives Baik at Prohibition.
New Zealand's rigid enforcement of
prohibition is cited as one reason
| Tor the agitation of European set
tiers for British rule. The United
! States was party with Great Brit
! am and Germany. to the treaty of
| 1889. which made the islands dry
| But neither treaty nor the eight
eenth amendment apply technically
! u al.
which is non-alcoholic. but intoxicat t
! ing. Its effects are discernible, how
! ever. only from the waist down. He
| who imbibes too freely may lose the
use OF his legs, but retain his wits.
! Wherefore, sailors mixed the kiva
with gin to insure a 100 per cent
jag
! Curious. too. is the method of COM
| pounding this beverage. The roots
OF a sort of pepper plant are chewed
| by young girls and deposited in
bowls. where male youths may pour
in water to the proper dilution. The
chlef klVa cheWer in native village
is a sort of permanent queen of love
, and beauty.
! THE liquor leaves an enamel de-
! posit in the bowls. which is suscep-
| tible of high polish. The natives be-
| lieve similar encruStation occurs in
the stomacbs of, consumers. Indeed
| one visitor was told that patiye ad-
!
| vigorously and his stomach had be-
| come so brittle that it cracked.
| Evening Dress Of Samoan Belle.
| Dainty Miss America daubs her
| nose with a powder puff when she
! goes forth to conquer; the Samoan
+; belle oils or greases her head and
body from the waist up when she APP
| pears in evening dress. A closer like
| ness arises, however. when the latter
| har hal inc
| ii with red clay.
Not only are Samoans physically
| attractive; they are mentally alert
tractable and bear no grudges, though
easily swayed by emotions. One
| phase of their social organization, a
sort of communism which calls for
| the sharing Of any property with him
! who asks for it. is accounted a handi-
cap in efforts to. better their condi-
tion. But it has been said facetious-
methods might be worthy of emula-
tion. For when a leader of a move
|, m ent desires to gain support he goes
to the abode of the headman of the
opposing faction, prostrates himself
/ and goes through many postures oi
humiliation until assent is forthcom-
/ ing However. denial of the petitione,
is considered an insult and may lead
to fighting.
/ U. S. Interest In the Islands.
! "Of the fourteen Samoan islands
{, but four are important. OF these four
Savaii. the largest, and Upolu. the
most valuable commercially, now are
! under New Zealand mandate. Tutuila
| and Manua are possessions of the
United States. Tutuila; is reckoned
the most beautiful of the group. but
| its Significance, especially in view OF
| present day political interest in the
/. Pacific. lies in its possession of one of
| the best and safest harboTs in all the
south seas.
| sThe establishment. of a naval sta
| ton at Pago Pago, on Tutuila. was
| not the first contact of the American
Navy with Samoa. Rear Admiral
Charles Wilkes. discoverer of the Ant
| tarctic continent. to whom was paid
/! belated recognition when monument
, to him was unveiled in Arlington ma
| tional cemetery last year. made sur
veys of the islands on his famous
| Pacific voyages.