Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1899 — WAR ON IN SAMOA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WAR ON IN SAMOA.

American and British Ships Shell Native Towns. . SAILORS ARE* KILLED. Attack by Rebels Under Mataafa Brings Aiont the Clash. Several Villages Are Destroyed and a Large Number of Natives Killed and Injured—Three British Sailors and an American Sentry Killed by the Rebels During a Bierce Attack-Ger-man Consul Refuses to Aid the Other Powers. The startling news from Samoa, cabled to this country from Auckland, whither the intelligence had been, sent by the usual- mail advices, indicates that a serious clash has taken place between the official representatives of Great Britain and the United States and the native adherents of Mataafa. The followers of Mataafa, after having refused to disperse in accordance with the demands of the English and American officials, attempted to make a demonstration agaiust the British and American consulates. From the fact that the commanders of the British and the American warships, the Porpoise and the Philadelphia, felt justified in shelling the natives who engaged in the demonstration, it is to be assumed that the provocation offered by Mataafa’s followers was extreme. According to the Auckland dispatches, the chiefs supporting King Mataafa having refused to abide by the terms of the tripartite treaty, and continuing to defy them despite the representations ot the agents of the United States and Great Britain, Admiral. Kautz, the American naval commander, convened a meeting of

the consuls and the senior naval officers on board his flagship, the cruiser Philadelphia. After discussing the question in all Its bearings it was resolved to dismiss the provisional government. Admiral Kautz therefore issued a proclamation ordering the adherents of Mataafa to return to their homes. When the proclamation was published Mataafa evacuated Mulinuu and went inland. Herr Rose, the German consul, then issued a proclamation upholding the provisional government, whereupon the Mataafans assembled and surrounded the town. The British cruiser Royalist had meanwhile brought a number of Malietoan prisoners from the other islands, where they had been confined by the Mataafans. The Americans fortified Mulinuu, and 2,000 of the Malietoans took refuge there. The Mataafans barricaded the roads within

the municipality and seized a number o‘s houses belonging to British subjects. An ultimatum was sent to their leaders, warning them if they did not evacuate the municipality, by 1 o’clock, March 15, the place would be bombarded by the American and British warships. To this ultimatum the Mataafans paid not the slightest attention, but, on the contrary, began an attack on the Malietoans. Bombardment Is Begun. American Consul Osborn and British Consul Maxse consulted, and at their instance, a half hour before the ultimatum expired, the Philadelphia and the British warships Royalist and Porpoise opened fire on some distant villages. The Yankee and British gunners had great difficulty in locating the enemy, owing to the dense forests in which they were concealed. The fire from the warships, however, soon set fire to some of the shore villages and caused much damage. A defective shell from the Philadelphia exploded near the American consulate, and the marines who were standing guard outside had a very narrow escape. A piece of the shell went through the Ger-

ed the German warship Falke. The rebels made an attack on the town at night and killed three British sailors. A British marine was shot through the legs accidentally by a British sentry. Another was shot in the feet. An American sentry was killed at his post by the natives. The bombardment continued slowly for eight days. Mataafa and Malietoa Tana were the rival candidates for king. After the election Chief Justice Chambers decided that Malietoa was legally elected. Under the treaty agreements the decision of the Chief Justice was to be final in such cases. Supported by the German consul, Mataafa revolted against this decision and attacked Malietoa’s men. The outbreak was suppressed, and it was announced that the three consuls had agreed to recognize Mataafa as king. This was afterward denied. Mataafa established a provisional government and at-

tempted, with the aid of the German consul and Dr. Faffel, the German president of the council, to oust Chief Justice Chambers from office. This attempt failed through the'activity of the American and British consuls and Commander Sturde of the British cruiser Porpoise. Affairs continued in. an unsettled state, the government of Mataafa being tyrannical. The gravest aspect of the matter, of course, is involved in the possibility of further complications in the relations of the three powers which hold the joint protectorate of Samoa. It has been known from the first that Germany’s representatives in the islands are favorable to Mataafa, while the British and American representatives have stood together in declaring Mataafa ineligible for the kingship. It was because the American who holds the position of chief justice had decided that Mataafa was ineligible, while

the German representative at Samoa refused to abide by the decision, that the disagreeable international complications arose.

MEN PROMINENT IN THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

COURT HOUSE AT APIA.

STREET SCENE AT APIA.