Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-19

authority of the United States and to
give to the islands the necessary pro-
lection"
That all happened before We adopted
the Kellogg multilateral treaty binding
civilization to abolish war as q national,
aggrandizing policy.
Accordingly, through the 30 years, the
American Samoa has been governed by
a naval officer, designated by the Presi-
dent of the United States. The natives
have sort Of legislative body. called
''Fono." whose functions are limited to
meeting annually to make recommen-
dations to the Yankee governor of
measures they would like to have adopt
ed in their own country. but the gov
ernor holds absolute power to accept
or reject native recommendations and
requests. The Navy is confident that
its so years Of administration of the
islands must have demonstrated a
benevolent monarchical government
which could not be improved upon il
the natives had their own organization.
All acts of our naval governors are
subject to approval or disapproval Of
the Navy Bureau in Washington; the
Governor" is not a car.
\ X +
BY reason of the World War GERMANY
lost her colonial interest in the islands.
so that now they belong only to- the
United States and Great Britain. They
are valuable only as naval base. The
location is 1900 miles from Hawaii and
1000 miles from the Philippine Islands
and not on the route between those
two American possessions.
Prior to our 1898 acquisition Of the
islands Capt. Meade of the American
Navy made treaty with native
chief, in 1872, which gave US exclusive
right to maintain a coaling station in
Pago Pago-pronounced "Pango Pango."
So the American camel" first got his
head into the tent of the discontented
native patriots.
**
Samoa has become best known 10
Americans. not through any Govern
ment affairs there, but because Robert
Louis Stevenson. the great English5 au-
thor of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde. chose
to live there. as the most delightful place
in the world for retreat. Here hezear-
ried on his literary work and nzAin-
tanned his position as the most su8ss-
full writer of his time. While hee4Ned
simply and at ease. ii Is vigorous HSde-
MED by his neighbors there nat
Stevenson "Slumped" into the ste8 Of
have started in pajamas and baEIoot
to call on the British consul an$felt
aggrieved at John Bulls freezinR7tti-
tude toward his unknown calleS9hat
Sunday morning.
Sometimes critics of traditiorf=hnd
fault with the Hebrew story of crExtion
and the flood, because 1t assumeS@<hat
the region familiar to HebrewEwas
1.-The whole world" The SamoanE=ca-
cording to their ancient legends ;-Here
even more mistaken as TO the extent of
the world" for to them their ti6{ is
lands comprised all the world Wprth
speaking about.
Their legend is that the world=was
created out Of nothing. Then -NHmc
fragrance. dust. perception (lieM?),
earth. high rocks, small stoneS9nd
finally mountains.
The rocks married and brought9urth
the earth. The cloudless heavens mar
ried the cloudy heavens and gave6rth
to Tagoroa. the creator OF men. yaRea
was the child of the twenty-Seepnd
of the elements and hg1vas
the FIRST Malietoa king and, in=@79.
after % generations had come, Maf6toa
Talavou became king. His cath.
in 1896. resulted in internal warS9nd
nnally the taking over OF the iSlaIfk& by
The three great powers OF civilizatf6o.
*** =
The earliest history recorded o2=the
people traces migration from India
there in BIC. IS. Then in $50 6D.,
and almost every century thereafter,
there are found historic references to
Samoans.. The first historic data of
modern times are Of 1722, when the
Samoan Islands we're called Baunnann
German. but Holland
Dutch. While the natives mlstook the
clothes of Capt. Cook to be q loose skin
Of his body. 1t is said that the early
Dutch mistook the tattooing Of the ma
ives to be clothes. -
Today all Samoans are Christians.
md they are reported quite religious.
attending church faithfully, whether
hey all belong to a church or not. The
schooling Is compulsory for youths. but
he term lasts only three months a year.
rhe public schools date back to 1903.
There are hospitals and q school f6r
raining nurses, under the direction 81
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