OUR SAMOAN LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8988, 28 February 1888, Page 6

OUR SAMOAN LETTER.

[FROM our own correspondent. " Apia, Samoa, January 23. Since my last letter we have had a sample of the reign of terror that has been initiated hero by this German-Samoan Government. They have just banished three of the principal Malietoa chiefs to one of the German possessions in the Pacific. These men have been seized and 'imprisoned, and without trial of any kind, put in irons, then put on board the German warship Adler, and kept there for some time, and then transferred to a German cutter and banished to one of the German possessions. So far as any one here knows, these men have done nothing to warrant such an act of tyrannical despotism. One had just come from Honolulu, and had stated that when there he had seen tho United States Admiral, who told him that he was coming down to Samoa with two or three warships. Tho telling of this was considered sufficient to cause him to bo thrown into prison, and a few weeks after, without any form of trial, banished as I have above described. Another of tho chiefs sent away refused to pay the tax imposed by tho German - Tamasese Government. This was apparently considered a sufficient crime to cause him to be put in irons and banished from his homo and his country. The other chief sent away is the great lighting general of the Malietoa party. He or his friends know of nothing he has done to warrant such tyrannical and brutal punishment. It is believed here that his great offence was allowing his pretty and clover daughter to go and dance on "board the U.S. warship Adams when she had previously refused to do the same on board tho German men-of-war. Of course they give out as the reason of his banishment that he has been holding political meetings in his house, but if they could prove such a thing why not bring him to open trial, accuse, condemn, and punish him in a civilised way, if the evidence adduced warranted such a punishment. Tho whole proceedings have been of a barbarian character. How can the Germans pretend to administer justice, when such acts as these are prepef rated by them in the face of day and before the civilised world ? It is idle for them to try and make the world believe that this is the work of Tamasese's Governments Tamasese's Government means Brandeis, and Brandeis means the German Consulate. When Brandeis went to Tutuila to arrest one of the chiefs they have banished, a German man-of-war went immediately after him, and was there watching while the arrest was being made. Then the German man-of-war was used as a prison for these men until they were sent away. Can the German Government act in this way and then get the world to believe that they are not tho primary cause of these outrageous proceedings ? The German Consul has officially notified the British and American Consuls that Germany has withdrawn from tho Convention of 1579, under which the muncipality of Apia was constituted. They first break the conventional treaty and then withdraw from it. The municipality was a pet scheme of the British Gtyernment, and we naturally thought they would be highly indignant at Germany's action, but so far there is no indication that this is the case. Tamasese has now published a proclamation stating that he has assumed the Government of the municipal district of Apia, and that all powers formerly held by foreign consuls are now centred in him. I believe the German Consulate have given it out that they have received despatches informing them that in less than three months Germany will have full control over Samoa, and that with the consent of both England and America. It is hard for us Britishers to have to believe this. We thought that two powerful countries like Britain and America would not be bullied into doing now what they refused to do at the Washington Conference, and especially after the gross breach of faith that has been committed. If what the German Consulate say bo true, then we must admit that Bismarck has a better knowledge of the character of these Governments and the way to work them than their own countrymen have; and we are compelled to believe that in the present British Government the lion's skin covers a sheep's carcase. Should Germany get the control here British and American traders may leave the island. Ido not suppose that exceptional duties will be placed upon their goods, but copra being the principal article of export, it is almost certain that the native taxes will ultimately be collected in that commodity, and thus handed over to the German firm at a price so low that none of the other merchants will bo in a position to compete with them. The lower the price of copra, the more of it will be required for Government purposes, and the less will be left for the independent trader; and as nearly all these traders must either get copra for exchange or buy bills from the German firm at their own price, it does not take a prophet to foretell what the result for them will be under such disadvantageous circumstances. Under the German Government the present current value hero of the dollar will no doubt be sustained, although its actual value is only 75 cents, because by doing this they will compel exchange in bills, and they being the only house that at present gives bills for Samoati money, they thereby control the whole business. Whatever may be the final result, the majority of the Britishers here feel that they have done their part, and have fought a game battle, though loft entirely to themselves and with the odds terribly against them from the start. We do not know how the British Government can justify themselves for the course they have taken, but we are perfectly sure that no amount of explanation will ever remove the black stain they have brought upon their country through their action towards poor King Malietoa.