THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 74, 1 March 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1879.

The Treaty, lately concluded between Germany and Samoa, Las again brought to the surface the question—" What are your politics ?" Forour own part,. we believe tliat a -careful perusal of the Samoa Times since its commencement would effectually answer the query; we further hold that we are not bound to produce periodically an elaborate proof of the applicability of our motto to our line of conduct; with those who would judge the latter without weighing the evidence in other words without reading the paper, we cannot reason ; those who do peruse the paper we would simply ask to point out where we have gone astray; the omu probandi lies with our readers. We will, however, assume that we have been put upon our defence. In the first place our main object, as we stated lost October, is to make money; there is no philanthropy in the matter, and we have no wish to claim credit for any. Undoubtedly there hitherto has been a certain amount of involuntary philanthropy about the concern, as up to the present time the publication has involved a peouniary loss; every week, however, we obtain fresh subscribers, and there arc gladsome sigus of the speedy elimination of the phiknthropical element. In the second place we may state, as wo have previously done, that we are not subsidised; we have hitherto sought nobody's aid, and there is no present intention of doing so. As to our conduct in the past. When Sir Arthui Gordon came here this time last year wo gave him our cordial support for several reasons; because ho did everything opouly; beoause he honestly endeavoured to establish a stablo Government, which would have boon a benefit to natives and foreigners alike;' because in all that he attempted to do he had the hearty co-operation of the Imperial German Consul, and should have hod the same from the American rcpresantativc. For these reasons wo refrained from criticising, in other words hindering, Sir Arthur Gordon's policy, although on some points wo outircly differed in opinion. With regard to the American Treaty wo criticised it freely; in a word, we condemned it as unnecessary for America's interests, und as unlikely to confer any

benefit upon the people of Samoa. Id i.ur issue of August 10th we established the fact, to our own satisfaction at any rate, that the present Government had no constitutional right to the title; we have always maintaiaed this; civil war on this very question may at any moment break out; the fire is only smouldering. On one more question we have expressed an opinion. Believing that the day has passed for adventurers (we use the word in its most honourable sense) to set up j kingdoms of their own in even the most remote parts of Polynesia, we have expressed a decided disapproval of the attempt being made again in Samoa. This review then brings us up to the date of the signing of the German-Samoan Treaty. As to the Treaty, we spoke our mind freely; in brief, we pointed out the ambiguity of a paragraph in that article which appeared to us to contain the kernel of the question, and at the ambiguity we expressed our regret In this latter matter, what more we could have done or what less, or in what we gave offence we are at a loss to understand.

" What are your polities f" That is the question put to us, and to it we will give a straight-forward answer. Had the German Government eighteen months ago announced its intention of annexing Samoa we should not have said one word in opposition. We maintain that Germany has acquired interests here sufficient to justify such action on her part. We are not prepared to deny that such action would be justifiable on her part even now. We deem it, however, improbable in the extreme; the signs of the times all indicate another course of events. Let us not be misunderstood, Our position is simply that of chroniclers of events as they arise, and of critics of what deserves notice. We have no more intention of " advocating" a German protectorate than we have of " urging " British annexation. Should England, however, send out a Commissioner and take possession of these islands, we should not deem the event a calamity; rather would we re-! joice in that Samoa would then be under a strong Government, the only panacea for all her woes. It would be mere hypocrisy to aver that as Englishmen we would welcome German rule as heartily as British authority. In fine, we reserve to ourselves perfect freedom of action should present circumstances change. We acknowledge to nn utter want of faith in any native form of Government whatever, cither with or without foreign advisers. At present there is a strong temptation offered to each of the Consuls to try and gain the ear of the so-called Government, a proceeding which might lead to the subjugation of foreigners by any one of the Consuls fortunate in gaining that advantage at Jluliuuu. No remedy is there, so at least we think, for the present anarchy and want of progress, but the advent of a strong foreign Power. There are only two nations who have any ligitimate call to interfere; if one of them refuses to do so in an effective manner, are we to be blamed for harbouring in our hearts a conviction that the approach of the other would bring peace and happiness in its train f