A German Protectorate for Samoa.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 219, 10 September 1887, Page 5

A German Protectorate for Samoa.

When the German squadron suddenly ' left Sydney on August 3 for a secret destination we (*' Sydney Telegraph ") stated, on what we believed, to be good authority, that the mission of the squadron was the establishment of some protectorate over Samoa. A very import-, ant passage in a despatch just received by the Governor from the Secretary of State for the Colonies would seem to afford con firmation of this supposition. Sir Henry Holland, writing on July 23 (a fortnight before the German squadron left Sydney), stated with regard to the subject which had been discussed before the Imperial Conference : " With regard to Samoa, the conference approved the proposal now being considered at Washington by representatives of Germany, the United States and this country, that one of the three great Powers having interests in the group should for a term control native affairs there." The result of the meeting at Washington of the representatives of Germany, England and America has not yet been made public, but there is a very strong reason for believing that as the German interests in Samoa are very large, it was decided to give Germany control over the native affairs in Samoa, which practically means another German protectorate in the South Seas. This decision would probably be arrived at within a few days of the date of Sir Henry Holland's despatch, and instructions to proceed to Samoa would be immediately cabled to the squadron then lying in Port Jackson. This might account for the hurried and secret departure, as, it may be remembered, the* squadron went away without waiting for the arrival of a captain who was sent from Germany to replace an officer who had died suddenly a few weeks before. This captain was at Adelaide on his way to Sydney when the squadron sailed, and acting under instructions he shortly afterwards left for Samoa by the Gorman steamer Lubeck, presumably to join the squadron.

In a Natives land dispute at Gisborne liti gation has been going on for twelve years, and nuiiiy thousands of pounds have been, swallowed up by the lawyers. A Judea native sustained sunstroke in. Tauranga one day last week. The forenoon was terribly hot.