The Washington times., 1922-10-01
BR|TA|NPLOT
To SEIZE ISLE
/ RULED DBY GIRL
Tiny Tongan Kingdom. in Pa
cific. Sends Appeal to United
States for Help.
PEOPLE LIKE HAWAIIANs
English Reject American Pass
,,orts and Are Said to Plan
For Annexation.

NEW YORK, Sept. 30.-From
the faraway island Of Tonga, an
invisible dot in the Pacific ocean,
ruled by a twenty-two-year-old
girl, has come a call to the Gov
ernment of the United States for
protection.
Tonga is populated by natives
who are akin and similar in
habits and appearance to the
people of Hawaii, and they share
the Hawaiian language and tradi-
tion.
Ask U. S. Help.
Geographically and racially, the
Tongans regard themselves as part
of the island people under the United
States flag, but politically the little
isle is a limited monarchy under the
"protectorate" of the British govern
ment.
In a proclamation sent to America.
with many delays en- route, the Ton
gans ask that the United States
authorities save them from being
seized and absorbed altogether by
British interests. There is no official
representative of the :;nited States
on Tonga" or the little coral isles
around it, which form part OF the
tiny kingdom.
A Religious Queen.
Queen Charlotte. the ruler, is q
member of the Wesleyan Church, it
is said, as are most of her subjects.
The Foreign Trade Club Of San Fran
Lob To damn oHipD inURQ.
tiRation into conditions there, asserts
that Americans are repelled by the
British representatives unless they
possess British passports, despite the
nominal independence of the islands.
The proclamation, which asserts
that the British are interfering In
the internal affairs of the little king
dom, reads:
NOTICE!
ITO you brown races, who are still
IN the happy position of holding inter.
course with European nations, In
case you should lose your country
remember
Tonga has been bartered by un-
scrupulous persons of rank, who will
forcefully take it.
Gather together and discuss a
means wherby you can save your
country, and be sure and be at peace
with one another among yourselves.
Love your country as you would
love your fathers.
when you have sold your prod
uce. do not trifle with the money
and waste it on decorations for your
women.
Hint at Warfare.
But purchase that which would
be useful, such as guns, rifles, pow
der, ammunition, to save your coun-
try from the big, forceful, grasping
empire.
Tonga is a very small country,
like Belgium. Britain should show
It proper respect without violating
the treaty.
God Bless
Queen Charlotte,
"Who Now Has No Protector.
This was written by committee
Of the society thPt shoots people for
the love of their country.
(Signed. .
TONGA FOR TONGANS."
Copies of the proclamation. with
letters of explanation. have been cir
culated in Hawaii, Australia and
other Sountries.
Eighty per cent VI the pTOuuCc VI
Tongr, which consists largely Of CO.
pra, is exported to the United States,
passing through San Francisco.
American interest in the islands
is proved by the existence of a treaty
Of commerce and amity which was
signed between this country and the
miniature South Pacific kingdom in
1878. There is no record of a viola
tion of the treaty in spirit or letter
by the Tongans, and 1t is on this
fact that the natives place greatest
reliance in their appeal.
The belief among American mer-
camille interests, which have received
reports from representatives near the
island that Great Britain Is seeking
to annex the kingdom to Fiji, which
lies 400 miles to the east and south
of American Samoa.