THE SAMOAN TROUBLE. "LOYAL NEW ZEALAND."

Otago Witness, Issue 2362, 1 June 1899, Page 45

THE SAMOAN TROUBLE. "LOYAL NEW ZEALAND."

(Fkom Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, April 14-.

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, has been much commented upon both in the London and provincial papers, and the offer has been hailed with delight as an evidence of the strength and reality of the Imperial spirit. As the most reliable and perhaps the fullest information as to the condition of affairs in the group has reached here from New Zealand, and as doubtless you have been kept posted up regarding the situation in Downing street, Berlin, and Washington, there is no need for me to deal with those phases of the " crisis," for so it is now regarded. Not only has the offer, renewed yesterday, given the liveliest satisfaction to press and public, but I have reason to believe that it has afforded much gratification to the powers that be. On receiving Mr Seddon'3 telegram of the 13th inst. repeating the offer, Mr Reeves at once put himself in communication with the Government, through Mi- 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, the matter is still under consideration.

Reuter promptly interviewed Mr Reeves, and this morning prominence is given to the Agent-general's remarks in all the papers. In the course of the interview Mr liteeves said: — "I sincerely echo the sentimfent of my Government in this matter. Personally, I do not regard the Samoan Archipelago as of sufficient importance to justify the outbieak of serious complications between three great civilised nations. The islands themselves are romantically beautiful, and for the tropics by no means unhealthy; but their area, and their trade possibilities, are, of course, limited. A part of what small amount of trade there is has for a long time past been in the hands of the Germans. There is, nevertheless, a very acute feeling of irritation in New Zealand and New South Wales, 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 desiro for this, New Zealand very warmly joins. As is known, that colony a number of years ago was anxious to have the Navigator, or Samoan, group, annexed. The Samoan native Parliament passed a resolution in favour of this. 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, arid the Condominium was established. All New Zealand can ask now is that the principles of the 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 Samoan affairs closely, and who has been in contact with men having a very full and accurate knowledge of them. The group, then, is neither utterly 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 jn 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 hiubour in the Navigators when she has got Suva, in Fiji?"

" Thnro are, in my opinion, two prime requisites to that end: The three Powers should agree to regard Samoa as a post of some importance, and should be represented there by officials of hiech quality, 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 tho necessity to which I have alluded. The next requisito is lhat the Power? should take ihe 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 are equipped with firearms and are animated by such intense factious zeal, s'j long shall we have these outbursts and international difficulties, aod I need not point out that the Polynesians are cue of the mobt 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 them.

" The regrettable anil astounding action of the German officials in the present crisis can only bo 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 do 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 in other parts of the Pacific we have found the Germans to be good neighbours, and in every way easy to get on with. I decline to believe that the action of the German officials in Samoa has been carried oat as part of any insidious and aggressive policy instigated from Berlin. That is to be scouted. The mistakes which have been made are of purely local origin, created by local feeling, jealousy, and over-zeal, which can be aptly expressed as furor consularis." •

Beat the big drum and shout hurrah ! A diecovery ! The best thing this side of the line ; licks everything of the kind into a cocked hat. No more sleepless nights. A boon to parents; an everlasting blessing. What? Why, Woods's Great Peppermint Cure for coughs and colds, of course. Sold everywhere at Is 6d and 2s 6d ; the large size is the cheaper i nthe lone run.