OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19765, 12 October 1927, Page 13

OBITUARY.

ADMIRAL A. K. BICKFORD.

A. and N.Z.-Sun. LONDON. Oct. 10. The death has occurred of Admiral A. K. Bickford, aged 83. lie saw service in China, Japan and South America in the middle of the last century, and was also at Samoa, where ha accepted the surrender of Mataafa and the chiefs.

Admiral Andrew Kennedy Bickford was born in 1844. He entered the Navy in 1858, and served as a sub-lieutenant at the taking of the forts at Simonosaki, and was gunnery lieutenant on the Amethyst during tho actions against the Peruvian rebel ironclad Huascar. He served in the Egyptian campaign at Alexandria, and in various operations in the Southern Pacific. After the surrender at Samoa he had various Homo commands, including that of Superintendent of Sheerness Dockyard, and was later Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific.

In 1887 and 1888 there was civil war in Samoa on the question of the succession to the native kingship. The Germans supported Tamasese and the British and Americans supported Malietoa. The Germans deported Malietoa, and the British and American support was then given to Mataafa. In the course of the fighting which followed some 50 German sailors were killed or wounded by the adherents of Mataafa The three Powers then held a conference in Berlin, and a treaty was executed, under which the independence and autonomy of the island was guaranteed, and the Powers virtually instituted a protectorate, and Malietoa was restored as king. In 1898 Malietoa died and two rival claimants for the crown appeared. The Chief Justice,-who was selected by the three Powers to arbitrate, decided in favour of a boy, Malietoa Tumi, and civil war followed, the Powers again disagreeing in their support. Matters were so complicated that in 1900 the Berlin Treaty was abrogated. Britain withdrew and the United States withdrew from all the islands west of Tutuila.

MR. JAMES EWING. (Received October 11, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z.-Sun. LONDON. Oct. 20 The death has occurred of Mr. James Ewing, the London manager of the Southern Union General Insurance Company, who died suddenly while at his office,. ~j .... |. v.- ■t ' \