(Received April 16, at 4.45 p.m.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11399, 17 April 1899, Page 5

(Received April 16, at 4.45 p.m.)

In the Reichstag Baron yon Bulow, in a temperate but firm speech, upheld the Samoan Act, which would secure the principle of unanimity. The commission would assume the provisional government over the consuls and warships; and restore order. He recommended that in future arrangements war by a civilised Power be criminal. Germany's treaty rights, the maintenance whereof the nation considered a point of honour (sic) Mataafa had been unanimously elected king, and it required a unanimous vote to depose him.

WASHINGTON, April 15. (Received April 16, at 4.45 p.m.) America has despatched the cruiser Newark to Samoa.

SYDNEY, April 16.

In tho course of an interview Majorgeneral French said- he considered 1000 men were necessary to quell the Samoan rebels. y

An official, though rather enigmatic, utterauce on the situation in Samoa has been made in tho Roichstag by Herr yon Bulow. This, in its full text, was telegraphed by a Berlin correspondent of a Homo paper:—" By the General Act of 1889, a triple rule wa3 established in Samoa between Germany, England, and America," said • Horr yon Bulow, who continued, " If a condominium is wont to lead to unpleasantness, this is still more the case with a tridominium., Since the General Act came into force there has heen no lack of friction between the representatives of the /different Powers. Added to this is the disorderly character of the population. As early as 1891 a ferment, .which went deep, showed itself in Samoa,'aiid in 1893 a, civil war openly broke out between the followers of Malietoa and Mataafa. In consequence of the intervention of the German and British naval forces, Mataafa was deported to the Marshal Islands. A fresh insurrection, which broke out in 1894, ended, after the German and English ships'had intervened, in tho overthrow of Tamasese. Last year tho three consuls proposed that Mataafa should bo brought back to Samoa, and Malietoa expressed himself to the same effect. The Powers assented to Mataafa's return., At this juncture Malietoa died. The threo consuls declared that his death was no impediment to the recall of Mataafa, who then returned on board a German ship of war. To his instalment as successor to Malietoa there arose an opposition party, who proclaimed Tanu,' a son of Malietoa., and still a minor, as a candidate for the throne. Both parties appealed to the decision of the Chief Justice, who pronounced in favour, of Tanu. The result was that Samoa, became the scene of open fighting, in which, the party of Mataafa was victorious. The throe consuls recognised the fait accompli, and the Provisional Government formed by Mataafa's followers. The final settlement of the succession question rests with the Powers," continued Herr yon Bulow. "I refrain from delivering a decisive judgment on the whole course of ei'ents in-Samoa until written reports are to hand and closely examined, but I hold strongly to the hope that we shall succeed in disposing also of these latest troubles in Samoa, with due protection of German rights and interests, and in a manner which corresponds with the friendly relations existing between tho three Governments concerned. That things in Samoa require readjustment is a principle which is acknowledged on all sides." It cannot be denied that the tridominium has not stood the ordeal. We should be prepared for our part, to .consent to 'a clean separation' if tho two other Powers agree; but so long as this agreement does not exist wo hold to tho ground of the act of 1889. We shall not allow the rights which that act gave us to be curtailed, or our interests to suffer diminution, but we shall also respect the rights which accrue to others in virtue of the Samoa Act."