GERMAN RULE IN SAMOA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 15

GERMAN RULE IN SAMOA.

WITH THE NATIVES. POSSIBILITY. OF WAR- : • (IIY •TELBStUPH'— iVtoikh- cbItKS3POSBSMT.) -.'■:■. ..';•■' AUoKIaHB, February 25. \f. : Further-news of the position of aftairg in German Samoa was received:on the arrival of: the: Tbfßa.'in Auckland frorn thb Islands: ■W'heK'-.the" native, bfatpf, Laiiitti,-, of Saviii, who has been responsible for most of the trouble,; was about his lnrge; following on his-arrival at Apia, recently, -he told Governor Solf that the peoplo were his ' friends from'his own .district, and,without hostile' intenti ■ He was told to send ;them r back lo Savaii, and it was suggested that hs Should Ask for i permit for'himself to retire to .His' people, would-, not hear of this, and would hot go back to Savaii until, ■ it is repotted; the Governor had sworn on the Bible that he held 'nothing against'their speaker,'Laua'ti,.and he was'free from. blame. . Laiiati hai sinfce had several cbhferbiifceS with the'Gbvcriibh'V ""■ ' v,'-.': .'"'.'Quito a iiUnibSr Of Whites hhVb- been iib an'rl sefiolisly fltiestiolied; eVeli charged With seditibh i ",shia apassbitgef by thb Torilai • "Ond maiv Was gravely charged frith having dropped the remark tea single native that the-Government Treasury was like a leaky bucket, it wasalttays empty. He denied the ,charge, and the matter ended. A German fiomiilfifbial braVellbf was charged with haying said .that three German warships, were sobn.'to-arrive;: and that .Mrs.'.Self w&sgbihj* Home on flccoUht of ilativb; trouble'si This was regarded 6S seditibus. He denied haVj ifig' ruentlbned; Mts. Self, ahd Said lib had rii6faly inquired of an a.hinidur gbihg -abotlt totvn ] was trite .that three ;. *h'p ships ■were.tt.cbmer; Othdf;. (Jornian resi- ', dents .Ivefo:seribnsly. qUestibiibd abbut tllesb tiifling :rumburs,' ahd oh.e.'fvtinouhced that, the: Governor's cook had told him, ajiU that the cook had -it from the liousemaid,, whb had the stbH', from Mfs, Solf herself. .The'--alleged seditibhists ~Were -thus, -acquitted!: .What all ; th6:'fje'oi>l<s wattt, ahd fwant-badlj) is peace, but there wjll only be a war 'if .Governor- Solf • undertakes;tb there, with warships" to back him! .It .Would, be /singular to find i Germany located ,in /the midst of, prosperous British arid /Aiiierican eoldniel -Struggling': with warships' to ; .enforce' terms;and maintain her rule."., :•;';.• • The •"Samballisehe •Zeitttng.'l.'.of-'.;February 6,' contains the following interesting: matter on'tho subject!—-.; -.;,,...- :-:'. % , "Upnn making further inquiries regarding the 'unrest. ambflgst thb. SambabS Ave .leatu that the position has somewhat, improved. Th 6. natives have bftlmed:'; down;-' and affair's s««m to havfe assumed & hbpfeful aspect, the incident being practically Settled, at least, far the time being.... As we reported a fortnight ago;- Lauati and his men obeyed -.the', order ofiDr.gotf •,and4eft}fof..hbrn6,'.hn.d. ' tfheUhb. tookihis do'pafturo:ff6m tJgolU'.'the of tl)B;SJturt^ipn r( seem,ed to;, be tided, over. H'owevof:';Bbme :bf>'the. Tjpolu Uativbs' took umbrage at' Lauati's ittdiscfeet and violent .Wtioh it VaiUsu ifi ■ bringing'; a .large body, of arrribd mbli ; with ■ hitii, arid showed a disposition: to \ feseritatjalsb .by fbrce of.;arms,': His Escellency.was at fiflcb -.ihfdiined'.'of. this new .phase.- of '• thb trouble, dnd once more succeeded.in lilpping thedi's.turbahce' iri;tho i .bud..by personally Sppeariilg in: the.-' fono's of;':Malib .atitl': Afegaj and; by Sending , tricts of 'Aan.V and Atu'&v. On- Friday' night,. January 22, iLieuti: HeckerVby orders:of "the Gbyernor,.left: by..,thb.,5.8..y-JD.>wn.for the pur-' p-flse of brinffing. the Savaii. chiefs .to Apia fpr; the fono 6f thohativbGoVefhment'tb bo held dh the: Emperor's birthday. The Dawn rer' turned .to .'-Apia, oil-.Sunday. tyith/Amtmarili, Williamsj and:tho Savaii: chiefs.' (including LaUati),.. dtVailimaVon-the ■follbwihg : Mbnday, ,'■' arid " matters. 1 wdro: , Lauati Was bfdbrbfl bhclt to his district that day.and'obeyed promptly:' ' l As..w'aS,Mttir'a!iy.; to."b"e.- expebted, .this factional diptUrhahcb caused quite albt of . excitement :iri. Samba, both, ahibiig the whites)' :dnd nativeli, and many garble'd and exaggerated rumours'were bruited about, and will Undoubtedly ; «bch. foreign countries,, as Bn the' very day of Lauati's threatening, to, giii Wttr a '.(Jjiion' stca'mef'WSs ih"l)'arl)6lii'r It" wduld U6 JnjUdietollß to blKme-thb Gb'vbhl.ment; as one lias .to': taker into Bbhsidefitioii thb fact tliat in 'the a ssertioii bf. I!UfbpeliU' law.and order,'bver a native.rare, arid particularly over, arace so changeable and conceited as. the. Sa'moaiisi' wlib. have inariy .very itlever orators them, occasional frictibn js ;bpuhd:t6 ofcbuf, ' Wholi.it does. liap= .pen it; requires -tlie Utmost care, and judgment. Vih : : the' : handling ; in ; brdbi 1 to : iivdid St*ri6Us . tonseqti«it6g, :': as 6Ur has hb military: powbrV and the '(trmllltj of the white fisidertts Would Still more excite tho Sarh&a'nsl' !N6-pilo- cSli .deity that our, Administration lias exefcised great, discernment and, tact .in handling, tlie present critical.question, and wo Uiay all bb thankful that the .incident, has ended as' happily as it'has done sp : far."