THE LATEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 158, 6 July 1899, Page 6

THE LATEST.

DR. SOLF, PRESIDENT, TAKES OFFICE

A TACTICAL BLUNDER

NATIVES DISCONTENTED.

CHIEF JUSTICE EFFECTS A RECONCILIATION.

FRIENDLY MEETING BETWEEN RIVAL CHIEFS.

PEACE FINALLY RESTORED,

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

APIA, June 28, 1899

On Tuesday, 13th inst., Dr. Solf, the new President, gave a very practical ! demonstration that he had assumed j the reins of his office. It had been arranged by the. Commissioners that Mulinuu Point, the seat of Government, was to be vacated by all natives, this following as a sequence to the proclamation abolishing the kingship and native government. It had been customary for former presidents to occupy the Government House at Mulinuu, paying rent to the Samoan i Government for the same, and by j arrangement with the Commission, Dr. Solf had decided to follow the custom in this respect of his predecessors. Unfortunately the Tanu party were in possession of this house, using it as a sort of government headquarters, and on the Dr. going- down to see about taking over the house and putting it into order, he found several j high chiefs of the Tanu party on the premises. Possibly through ignorance of the customs and language, the Dr. seriously offended these people. According to the native story he went down there, and without any explanatory remarks simply told these chiefs to clear out. They were so offended at being treated in such an unceremonious way that they left at once and going over to Tamasese made a complaint to him. He reported the matter to the Commisioners, stating that the. natives were quite willing to obey any orders of either the Cony missioners or Consuls, but could not recognise the right of the President to interfere or dictate to them, as he did not hold any office connected with the Samoan Government. I understand that the Commissioners were rather annoyed at the want of tact shown by the Dr., and I fancy must have rather rapped him over the knckles, for on the next day he went down again and explained to the natives that he had not intended to be offensive or rude, but that he must have possesion of the hoiise. Tamasese then told him he could give him no answer until he(Tamasese) had seen Tanu and the chiefs, but that if such was the desire of the Commissioners or Consuls, the house would be given up. The natives made it quite clear to the "Dr." that he was not to dictate to or act in an arbitrary way towards them. Later on a message was received by these chiefs telling them to disband their force of government police, and to pull down the private flag of the King, as the office of king and form of native government had been abolished. Aa this message came from the President the natives entirely ignored it, again stating that they would obey only the Commission or three Consuls. great deal of sympathy was felt towards these natives by residents, and the petty- want of tact shown by the officials was unfavourably commented on. The Commissioners are endeavouring to eradicate the ill feeling all round, and yet by such little acts as this they are causing fresh obstacles in their path.

On Thursday afternoon some 50 or 60 British subjects invited Consul Maxse to meet them at the International Hotel, where an address was read to him and bon voyage drunk in bumpers of champagne. Chief Justice Chambers was present and made a most telling and affected speech, referring especially to the loyal and splendid support which Consul Maxse had afforded him. Several other laudatory speeches were made. Amongst the guests were High Commissioner Eliot, Captain Stuart, of the Tauranga, and Captain Preedy of the Torch. The address was signed by SO Britishers, only those resident in or immediate to the vicinity of Apia being able to sign. Had time permitted the number of signatures would probably have been doubled. On the 16th the German cruiser Cormoran arrived from Sydney. She is of the Buzzard and Faike ciass, both of which vesselsare well known in Auckland. By the mail boat for Frisco on the same day Consul General Rose and Consul and Mrs Maxse all left. Many residents, German and British, were on the boat to see the last of their respective consuls. The German Consul-General does not return, but as far as is publicly known here, the British Consul only goes on leave of absence.

lOn Saturday, 17th, Dr. Solf, accomI parried by the Chief of Municipal Police, and a detachment of police, | ■ again visited Mulinuu. After some disj cussion with the natives about his proposed occupation of the Government; House, the Dr. ordered the King's flag j 'to be pulled down. The office of king; ibeing vacant, of course it was wrong for the flag to be flying-, but the natives didn't see it in the right way. Solf had insulted them before, and they were suspicious of every action of his, so that when by the President's orders the flag was lowered the natives promptly hoisted it again. ' i Shortly afterwards Captains Stuart ' and Preedy visited the point, and talkjing quietly to the natives asked them ito lower the flag, which they did at ' once, showing1 that had Dr. Solf used ordinary tact the ill feeling would never have arisen. Before leaving Muli- j nuu the President ordered the arrest' of two Samoan policemen, i.e., police ' of the late Samoan Government, who ; were in uniform, and who had refused : to take ofl: their badges when ordered ito do so by the Doctor. These men ; were confined in the municipal gaol '■ for a couple of days, and then remand-; ;ed to the Supreme Court, where they j [were told to deliver up the badges, | i and were then released. These trivial: j little matters could' • all have been ■ avoided by exercising ordinary care | and tact, but as it was they caused a i great deal of ill feeling amongst the I natives, so much so that Tanu, who had arranged to go to Fiji in the Torch, refused to go until things were more settled. The Falke, which was to have left for Sydney directly

'order of the Commissioners, and ru- ! mours and murmurings of discontent were to be heard from the Tanu party. Fortunately at this stage the Commissioners recognised that a misI take had been made, asked the Chief ; Justice to interview the natives, and explain the position to them. Consequently on Monday the Chief Justice went down to the Point, and in a telling and impressive speech pointed out to the natives that the decision appointing Tanu Mafili King was valid, and could not be changed; that King ! Tanu having voluntarily resigned, the ■ duty of forming a government rested I with the Commissioners, who had appointed the three Consuls to act in place of the king and native government; that it was clear, that for the present all native government was at an end; and he concluded by telling them that they were to listen to nobody but the Commissioners and three Consuls, who would protect them and govern them justly. This speech made a most favourable impression on the natives, and they expressed their wilj ling-ness, as they had throughout, to obey any orders of the Commissioners or Consuls.- During the day and for several days- afterwards they were all busy in removing their property and houses from Mulinuu, most of them taking up their old quarters in or around Apia. On Sunday H.M.s. Torch sailed for Fiji, where she has been sent to bring back our new Consul, Mr Hamilton Hunter. Mr Hunter relieves Consul Maxse during the lat- ■ ter's absence on leave. I hear that on ! the 19th and 20th of the month, the balance of the Mataafa arms were delivered over to the Commissioners. I think that I may safely say that the disarming is practically settled. On the 20th, Accession Day, all ships were gaily decorated, and a great deal of saluting was done. A large gathering of chiefs, thirteeen Mataafaites and eleven Malietoans, were invited I aboard the Commissioner's ship Bad-g-er, and were entertained together by the Coramisioners, who told the natives that they hoped all of them would be good friends, and that they must all disperse and go to their homes, and impress on their followers that everyone was to be good friends again, and that on another day Tanu, Tamasese and Mataafa would meet together and be friends; also that later on the chiefs would all be invited to assemble again and discuss questions affecting the Samoan government. The natives, after listening to the Commissioners, apepared all veiy pleased and satisfied with themselves, shook hands and rubbed noses all round, and parted apparently on the most friendly terms. Looting and pillage and mutilating the dead and dying apparently are all forgotten or forgiven. Newcomers and outsiders may forget and forgive, but we who took part and know cannot, at anyrate not at present, On the 21st the Badger, with Commissioners on board, left for Tutuila. I believe that the idea is for the Commissioners to gO around tho islands visiting the natives and try and make them understand that all ill feeling is to be done away with. On the 22nd an election for three vacancies (the western ward) in the Municipal Council took place. The Germans always secure this election, but as feeling was pretty high, the British and American party put up a candidate, Mr W. J. Swarm, chemist, and nearly secured a victory. Our man was only ' beaten by two votes, and was only five behind the head of the poll. It is stated that a petition praying for a new election will be presented on the grounds that several German voters were wrongly placed on the roll, and it is quite possible that we may yet win the day. On Monday, 26th, the United States cruiser Badger, with the three Commissioners on board, returned from Tutuila. Her mission, I understand, was perfectly satisfactory. A few more guns were collected, and the natives were visited at different places and told the proposals and orders of the Commissioners. The natives without exception appeared willing and eager to make peace and to obey the orders of the Commissioners, and everywhere they seemed pleased that the kingship had been abolished. I think I may safely assert that the ill feeling between the rival native parties (with perhaps an exceptional individual case or two) has died out, and as long as Dr. Solf or other officials use a little tact and diplomacy in their dealing, the good feeling will continue to expand. I really think that the President will not make any more mistakes in this respect. He had not apparently grasped the native character, and if he will only act impartially and irrespective of national jealousy, he may turn out to be the broad minded peacemaker that he posed as in his journey through America. The Falke left for Sydney via Fiji on the 27th, it being no longer considered necessary that she should remain. On the day of her departure she buried a poor fellow, one of the bandsmen, who died from fever. A good deal of sickness is prevalent just now, being a sort o! influenza. Many of our residents are {suffering from this, as well as the men-of-war people. I forgot to mention that the Commissioners issued a notice in the Samoan and English language stating that as they had been advised that the authority of the i Supreme Court and Chief Justice was ' disregarded, that they now issued this notice to let all people know that the J decision of the Court in the past and '< in the future, must be obeyed and re- | spected and obedience given to the I writs, and to all orders issued by the i Chief Justice.