THE SAMOAN SITUATION. INTERVIEW WITH MR W. J NAPIER. Auckland, July 19.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 379, 22 June 1889, Page 6

THE SAMOAN SITUATION. INTERVIEW WITH MR W. J NAPIER. Auckland, July 19.

The steamer Lubeck, which arrived in porb on Friday from Samoa, had, among other passengers, Mr W. J, .Napier, barrister, of Auckland, who has been professionally engaged afc Apia for several weeks past. During that period he took considerable interest in the political aspect and the affairs of the island generally, concerning which' he gives the following account of his observations :—: — " While at Samoa," eaid Mr Napier, " I was consulted by Malietoa - Mataafa, the present King, who saw me professionally. At his request I drafted for him a skeleton constitution for the government of Samoa. The general feature of this was the provision for the government of the islands by representatives from the English, German, and American nations with a decisive amount of power being given to the Samoans. The king and most of his chiefs highly approved of the scheme, but at the request of some of the chiefs it was submitted to Admiral Kiinberley. These chiefs asked at a ' iono' or meeting which was held, that no steps should be taken except under the direction of the United States, seeing that they had acted such a friendly part towards Samoa. Admiral Kimberley told us that he could approve of no scheme of Government for Samoa until the decision of the Berlin Conference was made known, and that matter was therefore deferred. '♦Mataafa is now awaiting information concerning the proceedings of the Conference, fie is encamped about 300 yards to the eastward of the English consulate at Matantu, about two miles distant from Apia. He has only a bodyguard of about 200 armed men, having sent all the others home to planttaro,yams and other articles of food, there being great distress amongst the Samoans on Upolu, and thefts of cocoanuts from private plantations. In cousequence ot the massing of the men in camps during the long period of disturbance the people have not been cultivating their plantations, and the dearth of food is the result. Only those people who have relatives on the islands of Savaii and Tutuila have sufficient food, their relatives bringing it over to them in canoes. Most of the natives in the vicinity of Apia are now living on rice, and they cannot get much of that, because it is very dear. They have no money to purchase it with, except such trifling sums as they may get from European visitors and residents by the sale of curios and ornament 3. This source of income has been more considerable than ordinarily, in consequence of the large number of wrecked officers and seamen living there, but now that nearly all the Americans and Germans have left it is difficult to see whence the natives will get any money to buy food. The British vice-consul, MrChacfieldjinformed me that he proposes to write to the Mayor of Auckland, intimating the distress that exists among the natives,and that the supplies of food which the people of New Zealand formerly offered will now be very acceptable. Some time ago the 1 Mayers of the New Zealand towns offered to make a subscription to supply Mataafa's people with food in recognition of their humane conduct in saving life during the hurricane irrespective of nationality. This was nob then considered necessary, but as the distress is now acute, and it will take several months for the food to grow, the assistance previously offered will be most opportune." "Tamasese, the rebel King," continued Mr Napier, "is still encamped at Luatuna, about seven miles eastward of Apia, on the declivity of a hill, strongly entrenched. A truce has been agreed between Mataafa and Tamasese, and Tamasese's followers now freely come into Apia without molestation. The feeling of the British residents is very warm towards the United States for the fearless and independent attitude adopted during the aggression of the Ger- . mans. "The Germans have made two astound- j ing charges against the English Consul of breaches of neutrality during the time they were engaged in a state of war with Mataafa. The High Commissioner for the Western Pacific is going over in H.M.s. Rapid to investigate these charges. The first is that when the German expedition went down to attack Mataafa, the British Consul showed a blue light, to warn Mataafa's people. This, however, is ridiculed by tha residents, who say that the light shown was an ordinary signal to the captain of H.M.s. Royalisfc. The other charge is that the Consul allowed natives to enter the precincts of the consulate for protection when fired at by the Germans. The only men allowed ! to enter the precincts of the consulate were some wounded men who had been humanely | carried into the groundsjby Colonel de Coetlogan's servants and several British residents to have their wounds dressed, a tent hospital having been erected within the grounds of the consulate. By thismeans the lives of a large numberof wounded men were saved. The act was one of mercy, and bore no political significance. The opinion entertained by the British residents of Colonel de Coetlogan is a very high one, and it is extremely unlikely that the investigation of the German charges will have any other result than his vindication. "Shortly before I left Apia the U. S. warship Alert left for New Zealand convoying the Nipsic, which had been stranded and lost her rudder, A jury rudder had been rigged, but when the ship had got 200 miles to sea it was found to be unwise to proceed to New Zealand without more extensive repairs. The vessels put back, and subsequently left for Honolulu, it being considered better to send the vessel through entirely tropical weather l^han to risk boisterous winds on I the coast of New Zealand. ! " The Germans, through the German Trading Company, are still nominally performing certain acts of government at Apia. They have a number of half-caste police who have been formerly employed by Brandeis, the German Premier appointed to Tamasese, and they also light the streets at night. Mataafa is anxious to undertake this and to perform all the functions ot Government, both in the town as well as throughout the group ; but as these half-castes claim American and German protection through the nationality of their fathers, he cannot interfere with them. He has, however, appointed magistrates and public officials, and has issued frequent proclamations enjoining respect for life and property, especially the property of the Germans. In order .to ensure respect for private property at night he has passed a curfew law, by which all Samoans must be in their houses and have their lights out afc 9 o'clock. They must retire from the town at 6 o'clock. His police number about 40, and they patrol the town and its outskirts. An infringement of the curfew law is punished by a fine of ddol.,' inflicted by Mataafa's magistrates. Many of the natives are highly educated, and are men who, with a little political training, might be safely entrusted with the performance df public dut c f . ' Mataafa removed in great state from his former entrenchment at Magi Agi to his present residence. He did this immediately on the openiDg of the, 'Berlin

Conference. The King was dressed in pure ; ivhifce,' entirely unarmed, and was preceded by a bugler, drummers, &5o armed men in double file, and his flag-bearer. The same number of armed -men and , drummers . followed. There were also three reconnoitring skirmishers leading the procession by aboub a quarter of a mile. The whole scene was striking, the physique \ of the troops being exceptionally fine. ' Mataafa expresses a sincere desire that peace might be permanently established. He has a horror of war .and looks to the future , with hope. „ He is a devout Roman Catholic, attends mass every morning, guarded by four armed men, and frequently in the evening tells his rosary beads. His house is aboub 200 yards from the beach in a beautifully-situated bay, and in the centre of a cocoanut grove. Should the Germans meditate any hostile movement they could easily shell the place from outside the reef. Mataafa has no fear that any warlike' movement will be made by them. He expresses the deepest regret for the unfortunate affair at Vailel, wherein the 20 or 30 German sailors were shot ; but avers that his men fired only when they saw their fellows fall j he was not present, the Samoans engaged being only a small outpost. _ •' Notwithstanding 'the disclaimers of Dr. Knappe, the German Consul, who has been recalled, it is now clear, and is even ad % mitted by the Germans themselves that the midnight expedition was intended as a manoeuvre" whereby Mataafa would be disarmed by a coup-de-main, and Taraasese's predominance restored. "When Dr. Knappe left Samoa some of his admirers gave him a dinner, at which he said that he would be back again in six months, implying that his acts were secretly approved by Bismarck, although nominalyl disavowed. It is felt, however, at Apia that Dr. Knappe made so many blunders that be will never be seen there again in an official capacity. The present German consul, Herr Stenbel, has very detailed instructions from his government with regard Co his attitude in almost every possible contingency. " Mataafa expresses a strong wish for the return of Malietoa Laupepa, who is now imprisoned by the Germans at Jaluib. Mataafa entertains no feeling of rivalry with reeard to Malietoa, and on his .return to Samoa will be perfectly prepared either to continue in the kingship if Malietoa wishes it, or to retire to a subordinate position, and allow Malietoa Laupepa to resume his former sovereignty. 5 ' — '• Sydney Morning Herald."