THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11432, 25 May 1899, Page 6

THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

',' LOYAE NEW ZEALAND." (From Our Own Correspondent.) \ LONDON, April'l4-. New Zealand's loyalty in offering to send the Tutanekai to Samoa, and to render all possible assistance to the imperial Government .in the present crisis, lias been much commented upon both in the London and provincial: papers, and the offer has been iiailed with delight as an evidence of the' strength and. reality of the Imperial spirit. As the moat reliable and perhaps the fullest hiformation, as to the condition of affairs in tlief.gro'up has reached here from New Zealand, and as doubtless you have been kept posted up 'regarding the situation in Downing street, lierlin, and Washington, there is no need; for ine to deal with, tnose jjliases of the" crisis," for so it is now, regarded. Na't only" has' the offer, ■ renewed yesterday, given the liveliest satisfaction to press and public, - but ' i have reason to beiitve that it' has . afforded " much gratification to the powers that be. On receiving Mr Seddoii's telegram of the 13th inst. repeating' the offer, Mr Reeves at once put'himself in communication' with the Government, through Mr Chamberlain and the Colonial Office. It was at. once .evident that, whether accepted or not,' the mere fact that New Zealand was ready; caused great satisfaction. As I write, tlie matter' is still under consideration. • Reuter promptly interviewed Mr Reeves, and this morning prominence is given'to the Ageut-general!s remarks in all the papers. In.the:course of the interview Mr Reeves said:—"'l. sincerely, echo the sentiment of my ; Government in this matter. Personally, 1 do. not regard the Samoau Archipelago as of. sufficient, importance to justify the outbieak'of serious complications between three great civilised nations. The islands themselves ave romantically beautiful, and for the tropics'I'by no means unhealthy; but their area, and their tj'ade possibilities.: are, of course, limited. A part of what small amount of trade there is has for a long .timn ,])Ust been! in the hands of the Germans, 'i'liero is, nevertheless, a -'.very acute feeling of irritation in New Zealand and New South AVules, a feeling that the present unhappy position there is'in no' way the fault of England or the,United States, and that our rights;there should be vindicated with firmness, as .well as .calmness. If this feeling is -to be allayed,' it is necessary that a stable and peaceful condition of ' affairs should be established in the group. In the desir.2 for this, New Zealand very' warmly joins.','As is known, that colony a number of years ago was'anxious to have the Navigator, or' bamoan, group, annexed. The Sarhoan native Parliament' passed a resolution in favour bf/thisl ■'; The New Zealand Government; would then have undertaken their administration on somewhat similar lines to those on which she now manages the Hervey groups in 'the Pacific. Owing,; however, to German action, the offer was not accepted, and tlie Condominium was established. All New Zealand can ask now is that the principled ofjthe Berlin Treaty should be fairly and equitably, carried out and insisted upon." ; ''With, regard to the present position and future prospects' of Samoa," Mr Reeves went on to say;! -;" my '.views must be taken as merely those of a colonist who has for a number of years watched S^moan affairs closely,' and, wh'o has been in contact with men having a very fulHand accurate knowledge of them. The group, then, is neither utterlj- valueless nor of very, great importance.- The arrangement there, is 'cumbrous; and doomed to bring trouble as long as it remains unaltered. To solve the existing complications^ three courses seem to me to be open: First, that Germany should be bought out by Great Britain by means of territorial concession in the Western Pacific, That I believe to be the best and happiest way out of. the difficulty'in the interests of all concerned, and especially of the Samoan natives. But if that is impossible, owing to German objections, there is the suggestion of a partition, and it has been hinted, that England should take Savaii; Germany Apia, and America Pago-Pago. I regard most of the objections offered 'to this proposal as fantastic; We are \ told that under such a scheme England>' would' not get-a good naval harbour in. the'"'.group, while America would. But what does .England want with a naval hpibour inthe Navigators when, she-has got Suva, in Fiji?" ■.' ■ " ' : "There are, in my opinion,: two prime reqiusites to, that end: The three PowerE should agree to regard Samba as a post of some importance, and should be represented there by; officials of high qualitjl", tact, and capacity," continued Mr Reeves. "I have not a word to say.agains tthe British consul now posted at Samoa; but I lay;great emphasis Upon- the necessity to which I "have alluded.',^. The next" requisite is that the Powders should'take* the same steps in Samoa as. they ,have' in Crete, and ..'insist ''upon the ultimate disarmament of the population and an immediate prohibition of, landing ammunition in- the group..; So long as these warlike Polynesians arc equipped with firearms and ,are animated by. such intense factious zeal, 'so long 'shall .we have these outbursts and international •■difficulties, and ..I need not point out that the Polynesians, are, one of ;the most warlike people in the world, and the Samoans are. of the same race as the Maoris,'whose fighting powers are not likely to be forgotten by the British soldier who had to face thenvv " The ' regrettable, and astounding action of the German officials* in the present crisis caii only be attributed to local, feeling. No doubt one petty intrigue has led on to another until at last" the present miserable state of affairs has come about. I" dp not- like to give, any final-opinion on this subject until .one has heard-the full-statement of the German .officials themselves, who must be left .to justify the line of action they have taken, action ■ which has led to these lamentable consequences; -I say this more especially as hi other parts of the Pacific we have found the-Germans to be good neighbours, and in everyway easy to get on with. I decline to believe that the action of the German officials .in Samoa has been carried out as part of any • insidious and aggressive policy insti.gated from Berlin. That is to be scouted. ;Tlie mistakes which have, been made are of "piirely local origin, created by local feeling, jealousy, and over-zeal, which can be aptly expressed as furor' consularis." / v