SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1851, 9 February 1889, Page 3

SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

London, February 6, The United States Government have agreed to refer the dispute with the German Government in connection with Samoan affairs to a conference to be held at Berlin.

Advices from Apia, dated January22nd, state that Malietoa, Mataafa, and Tamasese remain in the respective positions they occupied last month. Considerable pressure was brought on Tamasese and his followers to induce them to come down and attack Mataafa, but nearly one-half of the men refused to come. One, if not two, of Tamasese’s principal chiefs have left him and gone home, and will no doubt join Mataafa. In the meantime the Germans are carrying things with a high band in the harbor. They have boarded and searched the s.s. Richmond, and kept an armed boat guarding and searching all boots that leave hero. Yesterday the British ship Longfellow, from Baker Islands with guano, put in for provisions, and a German boat boarded her before the boat from the British man-of-war. At night they sent fotr armed sailors to take charge of her daring the night. The captain of H.M.S. Royalist protested against this proceeding. This morning a passenger by the Richmond (Mr Gelling, of Hamilton, Waikato) was taken off the steamer by an armed guard, and taken on board the Adler and tried by court martial. It appears that curiosity prompted him to go to Mataafa’s camp yesterday to see the King and his fortification. While there he told Mataafa that the colonies were in entire sympathy with him and the cause he was fifehling for, and advised him to lay a statement of his whole case before Sir George Grey, who might lay it before the British Government. This was considered sufficient werraut for the, Germans in arresting and trying him. Through the representations of Captain Hand he was allowed to go, but not before Captain Hand had threatened to take him by force. An armed force from H.M.S. Royalist was placed on board the Richmond to prevent the arrest of another passenger, who, it was rumored, was to be seizsd by the Germans. The owners of the Richmond have lodged a claim for damages against the German Government for loss occasioned by the arbitrary proceedings in overhauling her cargo. The Germans admit that war has been declared.