THE SAMOAN QUESTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 277, 22 November 1899, Page 3

THE SAMOAN QUESTION.

There can be little doubt that just at present Samoa is an important item in a deal which Germany is trying to arrange with England, and possibly ■the States. The Berlin correspondents of the principal London papers show that Count yon Buelow has sounded the Colonial Council on the question of a possible surrender of German interests in the islands in return for territorial compensation in other quarters. The Colonial Council seems .to be willing and barring a few naval and military folk and Chauvinist journalists, the German public men seem inclined to view swapping Samoan interests for territory nearer home as a desirable procedure. The German masses seem totally indifferent to Samoa and to all their dearly bought interests elsewhere, and to the mercantile element the fact that England sticks religiously to the "open door" policy rentiers domination in Polynesia a matter of small importance.

The German press of course desires the Government to take advantage of England's South African trouble, and to make Great Britain pay in African territory for Samoa plus German, neutrality in the Transvaal. "In order..to make us forgot Samoa," sayai the "Neueste Naebrlchten," England Would have to offer us extensive compensation of which Zanzibar, for instance, could only form a portion." Lord Salisbury, however, is not likely to pay Germany to be kind in South Africa, and if the Fatherland is really desirous of getting rid of her interests in Samoa, the bargain twixt England and Germany will have to be made-on a strictly commercial basis. The German press seems to be labouring under the- impression that with the Transvaal contract on hand, the British Government is in a, desperate hurry to settle file Sampan difficulty at any price, but if the Government of the Fatherland open negotiations under this belief, they will soon discover their mistake.

Since writing the foregoing I have had the pleasure of a brief chat- with

'a German merchant, whose business brings him in close contact with official life in Berlin. He assured me that the anti-English tone of someof the German papers was viewed with displeasure by the Court and the high political circle, the German Government being anxious to remain on good terms with England. "We," remarked my merchant friend, "have absolutely no political or commercial reason for siding with the.Boers. They are of no service to us, and the idea that Germany will forfeit the friendship of England by any attempt to embarrass heiZ'n this Transvaal business can only be entertained by fools."