Samoa and the Germans.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 15, 12 January 1889, Page 3

Samoa and the Germans.

{From the Graphic ) Qermuny cannot be congratulated on fcho •uiwesn uf the effort* eke It/u, hitherto made to necure for honwlf tho , Klltion of a pn»nt loloniaing Power. • Ootnpan.r form*! to promote Gob- ' man iiit«ret>t« in Ea*t Africa baa by it* higa-bandod proceeding* coropletalf j alienatod th<* nntivu- of that r»gioui; and thaw ha* bean a oon.picuou* lac* of fairnete and mod tana* in the Q*rman treatment of the natire porumtioa of Samoa. King MrHetoa, who «•• latter d«jaYt«d to thoCamarooaa, haddoaa itoHrinf to daetm to* km, meaeam adopted agaimt bira. Boa*

' to punish offeudes*. ■ A* for the• (>»*• man who ««i said :<> bo maltreated, there if good evidence that the natives were lastly offended by hhv vendue?, i mid tout in punishing him thoy nt vr-r . thought ttf showing disresp >•« t to the '• tiwniwu Emperor, wh—e birthday ho \h id be-u celebrating. Under tlto drctnmtnuccs it was very natural that > the Ueruian claim tor' rmipensat ion " hhoul I seem to King Maliotoa a most tyrunuiiul demand, and that he should decline to pay any nltintiou to it. The King jmt in !ii> placo liv tliu (ii.nuau < 'onntii provi d to be wholly unfit for

his duties, and the Samoa n» have of;own what tliey think of him by repudiating his authority, und reeognising- n Sovereign of their own choosing. Yet tho O-rmnns continue trt support the diwji't whom they have 'thrust upon tlm people; und a >aiuouu tillago was recently shelled by a (i« rinau warship, li is uncertain whether life was lost on this occasion, but it is not disputed that the vilhigo was nt. the tiujp inhabited only by women and children. The German Government, wo may hoj»o. will look into thew mattors, and begin to exercise Mther man rigid control oyer its subjects and rep-ro-cuttitiyt sin tliomit parts. In the j present instance tbere is absolutely no excuse for the blunders which have le eu committed, for CttnWiy is pledged neither to amirs wrr to rttablith a Protectorate OV?r StIHKM.