The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-10-04
u. S. ARMY HASITS
LADIES FROM HE'LL"
Samoan Soldiers Wear Kills
and Nothing Else.

washington, ~. C.-Uncie sam ma
soldiers who go Scotland's Ladies
From Hell" one better. They veal
kilts-and that's all.
They are natives of Samoa In the
South Pacific. where the banishmeni
Of chief by the American governor
Of the islands has caused a protest tC
be made directly to President Cool
idge.
In regard to these picturesque sol
diers, bulletin from the Washington
ID. O., headquarters of the National
Geographic society quotes communi.
cation from Lorena MacIntyre Quinn
as follows:
''The Fita-Fitas, as the native sol
diers are called, constitute an impor'
tant unit In the government Of Ameri'
can Samoa.
"It would be hard to find more pic
turesque body of men than these, our
South sea island soldiers. Tall. broad.
shouldered, handsome in features, pos.
sessing splendid poise, they are ad.
mirable 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 knee 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-dress
"For dress uniform the Fita-Fitas
wear with the lava-lava a sleeveless
white undervest, similar to the Y. Y.
z. or A. B. c. garment graphically de-
scribed in the advertising columns.
Uniforms Made Them ill.
"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.
"The Fita-Fitas have municipal as
well as military duties. They act as
policemen in and about Pago Pago,
guard all prisoners In the Pago Pago
Jail, ana frequently are called upon to
settle fights at cricket games between
rival native villages. The last-named
duty Is sometimes a severe test for the
soldier as an arbitrator, especially
when his own village is involved in the
controversy.
''The multifold activities of our South
sea soldiers seem rather at variance
with the conceptions most Of US have
about native life In the islands of the
South Pacific. We picture a native
as lolllng under a coconut tree, an
obliging wife sitting close by, waving
palm leaf to 'shoo' away the flies from
her lord. and food on the branches Of
nearby trees within easy reach Of
both.
when the governor of American
Samoa makes a tour Of inspection of
Tutuila, he Is always accompanied by
native soldiers. The Fita-Fita selected
to be the orderly on such occasions
holds a proud position among his
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 speechmaking. The reception ac-
corded the Fita-Fitas by the pretty,
vivacious Samoan bellies of the diff
ferent villages Is always exceedingly
cordial. These maidens with bronze
compilations, are as susceptible to the
fascinations of the lava-lava uniform
as their sisters in America are partial
to khaki and brass buttons.
'"The principal feature Of the Fita-
Fita organization Is the band. A little
more than a decade ago the natives Of
American Samoa had never seen a
brass instrument, but with infinite pa
tience q bandmaster of the United
States Navy eventually taught some Of
the Fita-Fitas how to play, with the
result that today the repertoire Of the
Fita-Fita band covers wide range of
classical and popular airs.
Rooters at Cricket Games.
"The favorite form of recreation
for the Fita-Fitas is cricket. The Eng
lish missionaries taught the Samoans
the game, and cricket tournaments are
gala events In the islands. Instead Of
having the regulation eleven on each
side, however, the natives have as
many as forty of fifty, so that game
very often assumes the proportions Of
n miniature battle.
"The roofing section Is the prime
attraction at the tournament. The
antics and capers of the Samoan
'bleacherites' at their games would
make the stunts of the undergradu-
ates at an intercollegiate game seem
tame in comparison. The natives
crouch on the side lines. beating wood
en- drums and giving vent to wild
chants, easily eclipsing our own col
lege cheers, as far as volume Of noise
Is concerned
Courage of high degree Is charac-
teristic of the Samoans. The world
looked on with admiration In 1889
when the natives defied the warships
Of three nations-three American