POLYNESIAN AFFAIRS AS VIEWED FROM WASHINGTON.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 49, 7 September 1878, Page 4

POLYNESIAN AFFAIRS AS VIEWED FROM WASHINGTON.

(From the New York Tribune. April 12.) A telegram from Washington, duted April 11, it to this effect. It was gives, oat to the public Several weeks ago that the Government had ordered a naval vessel, the Adams to be detatched from the Pacific Squadron for the purpose of conveying to tile Samoan Island.-, Mr. Maruea, the special envoy of that country to the United States. Mamea, who will soou leave Washington, remained here for several months; waiting a completion of a treaty with his country. This treaty, after a tedious delay, was finally prooured and ratified about six weeks ago. During the absence of Mr. Mamea from Washington, after the treaty had been completed, there sprang up, iu some quarters, a rumor that the : English Government had also dispatched I a war vessel to the Samoau Islands, j There is mason to believe that the rumor is uell founded, aud the Slato and Navy Departments aie giving the subject very careful attention in their deliberations with reference to the possible emergency which threatens to wrest from the United States, in the very instant of realisation the fruits of an important treaty. The interests at stake are no less than the possession of the principal harbour in the Samoan group of Islands, and the right of free trade with the islands. These interests were ceded us by treaty, and amount in commercial value alone, to several millions of dollars annually. The emergency wliioh endangers those interests is already a present one. It is well known that prior to the time of Steiuberger's residence among them, the Samoans through their chief, Mauga. aud Captain Meade, offered the United States the cession "of the principal harbour of Pagopago, and several times invited the protection of the American Government. It is also well- known that the government which Steinberger established for the Samoans, and which was friendly to American interests, was overthrown by British interference and intrigue . It is not so well known, however, that English diplomacy since that time has employed every possible agency to de-troy American influence and interests in these islands, and to get control both °f their Government and trade. In spite of these endeavors the Samoans remained faithful to their American predilections, having from time to time during the past two years returned American .agents, to their islands as he authorised agents of their own Government to procure recognition and a treaty of amity and commerce from the Unite 1 State*. Their last ambassador, Mr. Mamea, is a native Samoan. He sailed for 'tho United States last October, after the English had exhausted strategy to .prevent his embarkation in the vessel which brought hi hi to San Francisco. On his arrival here Mr. Mamea was extremely anxious to hasten the business of the treaty with the Government, since affairs at home were dangerously disturbed, both by the dissensions of rival aspirants and the intrigues of British agents, and it was expected On the part of-the great majority of the islanders, whom Mamea's mission represented, that a speedy reoognition of their existing Government by the United States would give it strength and permanence. But tuo State department delayed to finish tho treaty until the beginning of February, and it is now feared, on gooJ grounds, that the English, so often our misters iu diplomacy, have taken advantage of American dilatoriness, to intervene and take possession of these islands, and event ■which in probability will annul our treaty with the Samoans, and rob us of all tho benefits political and commercial. The apprehension of English occupation of the islands is known to bo based in large part upon information contained in a private letter received from a legal agent in Samoa'by a gentleman in this city, formorly a resident and consular officer of the United State* in the islands. Tho Samoan agont, writing in the latter part of January, to explain why certain private interests have not been advanced, makes the importantisxidontalstalMuent that the delay of action on his part was occasioned by tho expectation of the arrival, in the month, of February, of Sir Arthur Gordon, the English.Governor of the Fijis, to establish Courts in Samoa. In addition to this, the letter itself containing this .significant nous, is stamped with an English stamp, "printed for J the Samoan Government, bearing an Engliah-Saiiinau device, characterising it a* " Samoan Express Postage Sixpence." ■ More pertinent aivl conclusive evidence of, the establishment of English authority and influence in these islands can hardly be demanded. What form English occupation and authority havo taken it is difficult to conjecture, as they are more recent than any word which Mr. Hatnea himself had received from the islands up to two weeks ago.

The letter which has been mentioned was presented soon after its reception for the inspection, of the Secretary of tlm Navy. Ou reading it, in connection with the rumor of the dispatch of an English vessel to the islandn, the Secretary oxproseed Tnuch concern as to the potinbW danger of belligerent contact which mint arise from* having ordered an Ameciean naval vewol into those waters, and has even threatened since that time-.to detain the Adams at Panama, ' declaring that he will not nth the risk of collision with the .English veswi for the islands of the Pftdtic.

.Such is at present the status of the American oaso in the affairs of Samoa. It remains to be seen what developments

may be immediately made in this matter, and what complication:* may possibly arise out of them in view of our recent treaty with these is anils, aud their almost certain preoccupation by the English.

It is undoubted tltut English occupation or English protection means the exclusion of all other interest* fiom the island-, especially those . f free commerce, with them. • It i- England's policy," said Mr. Frederick Seward, in speaking of this affair recently, *■ to sweep under her control all the isiands ot the sea. She took possession of the Fijis twelve years ago, in the same iine of ambition in which sue now extends her protectorate over Samoa." The Assistant Secretary of State omitted to state that consistently with the British theory of trado, which conveniently stops with British interests at home, England, on assuming a protectorate over tho Fijis, in less than three years ruined every industry in those islands, commercial and agricultural, by tariffs and excessive taxation.

Whether in the present complication of the affair* of Samoa, the United States will insist on maintaining the privileges which haVe beon accorded in ttie treaty with that country, or will lend even an effective moral aid to the Samoans iu their attempt to rescue themselves from the threatened English -domination, is pruble ma ticai. The importance of rigidly demanding the fruits of our treaty, it is said by those best informed on the subject, can hardly be exaggerated. Colonel Steiuberger's elaborate report made to tho State Department in 1873, of the opulent,resources of these islands, and of the splendid possibilities of American trade with them, reads with almost the interests of Romance. The essential points of this report, however, have been sustained with testimony from many sources of a character which is satisfactory to our Government. The Samoan Islands lie 140 south of the Equator. 1700 west longitude, immediately in the track of the Australian steamers from the Pacific coast, and fifteen days from Sau Francisco, in whose maikets the rich fruits of the islands are often accessible. The islanders have hitherto heen chiefly furnished with manufactured articles by European firms, who purchase from them the copra, or dried cocoanut, at rates which make the exchange on the part of the purchasers little better than robbery. Within the last year, however, the Samoan traders have made the discovery that they can purchase goods in San Francisco more cheaply. than of English and German houses. This possibility will exist only with the condition of unrestricted free trade with the islands, as provided for in the just finished, treaty which Mr. Mauiea now carries back*to his country —a possibility incompatable with the English occupation of the island.

One of Steinborger's projected schemes during his Sainuau premiership was a political confederation of the nearly 2,000 Pacini Islands, lying within the tropics, with Samoa us the capital. Whatever may l>o thought of so vast a project as a goverame .ta. orgn lisation tor the South Pacinc Islands, it is .ut unreasonable to anticipate ilia', tue United States favored (>\- a treaty of amity and trade With the cential group of Samoa, would, in taking steps to secure the benefits of tuis treaty, come into relations with an irmn use numbe:

of the surrounding islands for the purposes of commerce. The Sauiuans themselves have long been nearly a one in opposing the establishment of Englisn authority over them ; while on the other hand they have been almost piteous in their often renewed petitions for a league of amity and protection with tue United States.

Steinberger's clairti of two and a half million of dollars, presented through his New York attorneys, against the English Uovernmeut, for outrages committed against him by its agents while in Samoa, is known to have been brought to the attention of the State Department Steinberger is engaged in making a book o. his eceenti ically unique- experiences in that part of the world.