THE CESSION OF SAMOA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15718, 19 September 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE CESSION OF SAMOA.

o HOW GERMANY OBTAINED POSSESSION. CONVENTION OF 1899. NEW ZEALAND'S PROTEST.

The cession of the two most important islands of Samoa to Germany took place in 1899, just a few weeks after the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa. Prior to this time the islands had for some years been under the joint control of Great Britain, America, and.German}'. This divided system of control was unsatisfactory, and-; in > the. year • 1899. after an inquiry by, commissioners appointed by the ' three •• Powers, an' arrangement was made between the three Powers whereby the two larger islands of Savaii and Upolo passed under the control of Germany, the island of - Tutiiihv and the smaller islands of the group being retained by the United States. Some information which is contained in the official despatches of the time is of . particular interest just now, especially in view of the fact that a strong protest-against"the cession of the islands to Germany was made at the time by the late 'Mr. R. J. Seddon, then Premier of New Zealand. '• '.

Imperial Government's. Explanation. The convention and declaration between Great Britain and Germany for the settlement of the Samoan and other questions was signed in London on November 14, 1899. A copy of the convention with a covering despatch was forwarded by the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, to'the Governor of New Zealand, Lord Ranfurly, under date of November 24, 1899. The despatch ran as follows: —

" As stated in the preamble to the Convention the commissioners of the three powers concerned report, after an exhaustive examination of the state of affairs in Samoa, that the attempted joint administration of the three Governments had, in their opinion, definitely failed j and in order to terminate a situation that was bringing ruin on both the European and the native inhabitants of the group, it was necessary for the three Powers to devise a new arrangement in substitution for the triple control.

"At firet sight the natural direction in which to seek for a solution of the question appeared to be that of a partition of the islands, but the obstacles to this course proved insuperable. The possession of rights over the harbour of Pango Pango gave the United States an indisputable claim to the island of Tutuila; but to say nothing of the intimate relations subsisting between the neighbouring islands of Upolu and Savaii, which would have caused great difficulty in any attempt to administer them separately, neither Great Britain nor Germany had any preponderating right to the more important and valuable island of Opolu and neither Power could be expected to surrender it to the other, without receiving adequate compensation elsewhere. Every, effort was made by Her Majesty's Government, in view of the great interest felt in Samoa by the Australasian colonies, to secure the possession or Upolu by important sacrifices of valuable territory in other parts of the Empire; but the long connection between Germany and Samoa had created in the former country a sentiment which prohibited the success of these endeavours, and in these circumstances it became the duty of Her Majesty's Government to accept eettlement on other lines which offered material advantage to the Empire.

Preponderating Interests. "It should be remembered that this country has no separate rights in Samoa and that her position in the group was, both territorially and politically, identical with that of Germany; and that while Great Britain enjoyed perhaps the larger shaie of the externa] commerce of the group. German interests in land and in the internal trade were largely preponderant. The same observation applies to the territorial and political situation in Tonga, though the material interests of Great Britain there largely exceed those of Germany, and the withdrawal of Germany from Tonga is parallel to that rf Great Britain from Samoa; so that the only actual cession of territory in the Western Pacific which has taken place under the convention is that of the islands in the Solomon Group which Germany has handed over to this country.

'' The declaration appended to the convention applying to ,the islands mentioned therein, the stipulations of the Declaration of the 10th of April, 1886, guarantees the maintenance of religious freedom and equality and identity of commercial rights, to the subjects of both countries, and in those circumstances the Australasian colonies cannot fail to benefit by the increase of Samoan trade, which will naturally follow on the establishment of peace and order in the islands."

Protest, by Mr. Seddon. A memorandum in reference to Mr. Chamberlain's despatch was sent by the late Mr. R. J. Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, to the Governor, Lord Ranfurly, on April 16, 1900. This memorandum was forwarded by Lord Ranfurly to Mr. Chamberlain un the 25th of the same month.

Mr. Seddon's memorandum contained the following observations :— "The Convention made between Great Britain and Germany regarding the disposition of the Navigator Group shows that the predictions uttered about thirty years ago by the New Zealand Ministry have been verified. The Ministry at that time urged the annexation of Samoa, and ever since this has been the invariable request of the New Zealand Ministers. Assurances were., it is understood, given in 1872, that neither Germany nor the United States of America desired to acquire territory in the Pacific. When Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois was governor—l think in the year 1885 the New Zealand Government had, with the consent of the natives, arranged to take possession and were then stopped by the Imperial Government. Now, the two larger islands—Savaii and Upolu—have become part of Germany, and Tutuila and the smaller Samoan islands belong to the United States. Great Britain, that civilised and christianised them; that first traded with them; that has even now the most trade and the most white population, and that has spent much blood and treasure in the islands, has abandoned them to the foreign powers.

Wishes of Natives Disregarded. "This lias been done against the wishes of the natives of the islands, who have since 1872 been wishing for a British protectorate, and the Colonies of Australasia feel keenly the placing in the Pacific—in the central group of the Pacific—fortified positions of foreign Powers, that may in the future be used as bases of attack upon them and their commerce. The colonists believe that there must have been some grave diplomatic reasons for such a step, not disclosed in the official documents, and, as the matter has been ended, it is useless to comment on the reasons put forward in the despatch. " Whether in the end it will be for Germany's benefit as a manufacturing nation, and one now relying on foreign trade and seeking its future development, to do such an unfriendly act to Australia and New Zealand, remains to be seen. The traclo of New Zealand alone with Germany is greater than the trade of Savaii and Upolu can ever be, and the time may not be far distant when the actions of Germanyfor ■ it is known that the United States of America did not ask for a partition of Samoa, or wish Britain to be excluded from or be made a foreigner in the group— be regarded in such a way as not to benefit the trade relations between Germany and the Colonies.

A Source of Anxiety. " This surrender of Samoa will in future be a source of anxiety and entail expense on Great Britain and the Colonies in preparing for and providing against eventualities. However now that it lias been done it is necessary that, immediately it ib opportune, steps be taken to put the islands admitted to the British on a satisfactory footing."

Mr. Scddon then went on to suggest the inclusion of the Cook group within the boundaries of New Zealand, a proposal that was shortly afterwards given effect to.

In concluding his memorandum Mr. Seddon remarked " Some definite action of a forward character is required in the Pacific at the earliest opportune moment, for the surrender of Samoa has disheartened the natives in the islands, disappointed the people of Australasia, and lowered the prestige of Great Britain in this part of the globe."