Samoa.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 25, 6 April 1889, Page 2

Samoa.

(From the Auckland Evening Star, March Ylth.) From Berlin comes the welcome news that the Samoan question h.iemerged from the acute stage an-' there is no longer any danger o( international warfare rosultinguver the struggle for the control" of the ftan.onn Islands. While it is satisfactory to know that the difficulty is over, and that warlike tnWtenings have given place to the smooth talk of diplomacy, we should like to beasßured as to the basis upon which peaceful negotiations have been resumed; Any other than that of the status ijuo anleconfereiidumvtoxilA be manifestly unjust to the Sainoann, and most of all to the exiled and deposed monarch Malietoa who i» detained in a cruel exile by 6e>mauy. Thatoondition will, wehorafoe Jnrnily insisted upon by England and America before they consent to take up the broken thread of the Washington Conference and edbtfaraeiat Berlin the interrupted negotiation* for the settlement of the" Samoan question. Fuller reporta to band of lbs interview with Count ffwhwfr Biantatek ou-thia subject, referred to in dor table deepatohM some week* lerirtwr that iba Count nadspokoo with much ateming candor, although

Ms observations werw far from Mng based upon correct information. He claimed Unit iu the Saiuoan question, Germany had " tptvlt mil offenen Karten " in other words, l'*d shown the cards she held, and that her sole desire had been to " upheld the lawful and orderly stateof tilings hitherto existing." Tho Count went on taremind tho interviewer that " there is no treaty concerning Samoa in existence, either between the Uljitad States and Oonnnny or between the United States and Oreajfc Britain, Treaties were made butwOOHrtAieUnited States, Germany and England on one hand and tho . hninoarw on the other." This i.s perfectly well known, ami npparentte^ftoply'reason tor its being numtiojaed by Germany's apologist wa*.fi' emphasisL' the fact, tliat r<-centjhigh-handeil proceedings hud only>involved a breach o! treaty obligations towards a semi-civilised people, and wero therefore not to be judged too harshly. It is just this very assumption that constitutes thechief ground of conrplaiutagainst Germany. To show an utter disregard for treaty Obligations siilcmnly , entered into, simply because the other party to the treaty happens j to be weak and defenceless, is com-, duct unwortliy of a great Power, and it is vain to claim credit lotlawful and orderly intentions in face of the- patent and shameful.] [facts of German ajrgresion in Samoa.; |A-s for the .straight-forward diplomacy of the Teuton in Samoa the j less said about it the better. It may i be a merit to show one's hand when j playing'• bind';" but when the of-, j fusively honest gentleman grabs the ! stakes, and covers the other players with his revolver, it i.s to be qucs- I tioned whether his candour is sufficient to atono for his bullying, brutality.