The Germans and Samoa.

Evening Star, Issue 7356, 31 October 1887, Page 3

The Germans and Samoa.

Mr Greenebaum, formerly American Consul at Samoa* has been interviewed at San Francisco on recent events. He> said :f- A crisis in Samoa is exactly what I prophesied when at Apia, and is one of the heaviest diplomatic 'insults this country JAmerfoa] could receive. The Treaty of--IS7B between England. Germany, and.the United States Contains the following article:li> event of the Government ol Samoa beinft a* any ♦ime in difflouHy with *»*«■ in amity with the United SUteMh? Samoan Government th-n reserve*to ItieU the right of claiming the protection of the Amerloan flip. . . ' "Three years ago," continued Greene-,, banm, "Admiral Knorr, with three Ger-man"ships-mam«4*y 1,560 nKforlay at Apia, and announced their levy a fine upon the Kin*, m the thatthe present admiral has coerced MalieSJ. At the call of the meat I extended the protection of we^irs

and Stripes to the monarob, at the same time giving formal. notification to tho British and German Consuls. As soon as Admiral Knorr saw the United States flag floating over the islands he at once gave notice to the German Consul, Dr Stubel, that he must withdraw from any further demonstrations, as the matter had assumed a serious diplomatic aspect. Three hours later the German fleet was on its way back to Zanzibar. The Government at Washington did not countenance my actions, and Mr Cleveland, in his annual message, stated that I had been recalled on account of overzeal." "Is Bismarck personally interested in Samoa?" "He certainly is largely interested in the German Commercial Company of the South Seas," replied Mr Greenebaum. "He tried hard after the failure of the Company for 5,000,000 marks to have the German Government advance a second 5,000,000 and take a controlling interest in the Company's stations for security, but the Reichstag voted down the movement, and the Chancellor's interested position was vigorously assailed by Sonneman, of Frankfort, and Bamberg, of Mainz." " Do you consider your removal to have been accomplished by the marked antipathy of Bismarck?". "I do," replied the ex-Consul. "The great German Chancellor would not even let Berthold Greenebaum, of San Francisco, stand in the way of his pet commercial scheme, and he went so far as to communicate with the British Government respecting my removal. That Government would not at the time lend its hand to his line of action by which my own countrymen were readily duped, but Bismarck never rested until he had made a clean sweep of the consular representatives at Samoa, and obtained a set of men who have allowed him to act with impudence and immunity."