The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1887. GERMAN DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST SAMOA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1657, 8 September 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1887. GERMAN DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST SAMOA.

The telegraphic news from Aucklanc which appears m our present issue it reference to the declaration of wa against Samoa by the commander o the German Squadron is somewha startling. The mysteriously sudder departure of the German warship frorr Auckland, without any authoritative information as to her destination, gave rise to various surmisings, and it was generally believed that she had gone tc Samoa under sealed instructions. We were thus partially prepared for some demonstration on the part of Germany, but we were not prepared for such high-handed action on the part of the | Commodore and Commander of the German Squadron as that which the telegram discloses. Samoa is under a joint tri-partite protectorate, m which America, Germany, and England have each an equal share, and equal responsibilities. How it comes to pass that one of the protecting powere, without consultation with the other two, should have taken such precipitate and arbitrary action is simply astounding. This feeling is heightened when we come to look into the circumstances t whlch led up to it. From the telegrams we learn that on the German Emperor's birthday (anniversary) there was a general " drunk," and a free fight took place, m which some Germans were assaulted by Samoans. Now, considering the occasion and the abnormal license which prevails on such demonstrations, it will, probably rightly, be conjectured that the Germans were quite as much, if not more, m fault than the natives. The German squadron subsequenty arrived, and the proceedings of the Commodore, as detailed m the telegram, show that he had misgivings as to the course he was about to adopt, for he refrained from commencing operations until " immediately after the departure " of the German steamer. This shows, we think, very clearly that he was conscious to himself that he was exceeding his pow£rs. H.M.S. Opal sailed, however, for Samoa on the 29th August, and no doubt before this time the author of the embroglio has been brought to book. It is somewhat singular that the Government have received no information on the snbject.