Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1897. Germany's Desire.

Manawatu Herald, 12 August 1897, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1897. Germany's Desire.

Thb German colonial organs are urging that the time is opportune for Germany to claim Samoa, sinr.e America has claimed Hawaii, and England lays claim to Tonga. It must bn remembered that neither England or America have gone beyond putting in a first claim in case of any unforseen fulling otf in the local rule. By a treaty signed at Berlin in 1889, Great Britain, Germany, and the United Statea have guaranteed the independence of damoa, and provided for its Governmpnt. iris true that in 1893 on Lilinokalani lining dethroned, Hawaii was annexed by ibe.Uoitfd States, hut it was repudiated by President Cleveland, whereupon a provisional republican gdVerbtnedS was established. In 1848 the Independence' of Hawaii was guaranteed by the French and English governments, a fact admitted by the repudiation of the annexation by the President of the United States. Tonga is under the rule of a king, but is under the protection of Great Britain. Germany appears to want a deal in other people's property co that what she cannot get by trade she hopes to get by force. We find Samoa with ita group of islands has a population of 86,000 inhabitants. They are a well-formed race, but decreasing in numbers. The islands contain rich pastures upon which imported live stock thrive, and copra, cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane are also grown. Though the trade is mainly in the hands of German firms, more than half the ships 'entered and cleared at tbe port of Apia are British. The imports are valued at £90,000 and over £56,000 are from Great Britain, and the exports are £63,000. The difficulty appears to be the want of success in securing a stable government, and that, with the decrease of the native population, may be tbe reason for Germany wanting to be in time to claim a little bit of the fragmentary country in the South Pacific. The Hawaiian islands enjoy a fairly temperate climate, and the rainfall is said to be 54 inches. On the Waimea Plains in Hawaii alone, thousands of merino sheep graze, and on the other islands though the hills are covered in bush, the lower levels make fine grass land. The population is 100.000, and Japan's objection, urged lately, arises from the fact that some 23,000 of her countrymen are settled there, besides 15,000 Chinese. Tbe whites only number 21,000 of all countries. The imports, valued at over one million pouads, consists principally of dry goo K and the exports, valued at £1,867,243 consist* of sugar, rice, wool, molasses, tallow and bananas. Nine-tenths of the trade is with tbe United States. The native population is likewise decreasing. The Tongans repeat the tale of decreasing numbers and now number less than 20,000. The soil of Tonga is described as fertile and the exports are copra, green fruit, kava, and whale oil, valued at £67,000. The imports come chiefly from British ports and are valued at £82,000. The day is not yet at hand, though it is coming, when the European Powers, whose merchants have secured the trade of these islands, will from necessity have to resume control. Germany is perhaps rest less, fearing that the inevitable onward progress of the Great British colonies lying so close to these islands will before long wrest tbe trade from foreign hands, and thus the present claim, by trade, Germany now possesses, will be lo=?t. These may be just the reasons why tbe United States or Great Britain may not be in a hurry to accept the suggestions thrown out by German oolonial organs.