SAMOA. 



731 



ir should revert to Malietoa's government. 

 Malietoa Luupepa a few days later was suc- 

 ceeded by his nephew Teiavao. The new 

 Malietoa refused to ratify the treaty with Ger- 

 many, in the belief that it confirmed land titles 

 that were in dispute, and acknowledged all 

 kinds of land transfers made to Germans, and 

 maintained his objections until the British 

 Commissioner for the Western Pacific assured 

 him a year later that this was not the case. In 

 July, 1881, in order to put an end to the war- 

 fare that continued between the two dynastic 

 parties, an agreement was made between the 

 United States. Great Britain, and Germany, 

 whereby it was arranged that all Samoa should 

 be ruled by Malietoa as King, and Tupua as 

 Vice-King. In 1882 the joint administration 

 of the three foreign powers in Apia was con- 

 tinued by a new convention until such time as 

 the internal state of the island should admit of 

 the district being placed again under the native 

 government. Germans continued to barter 

 rifles and powder for land at the price of about 

 thirty-seven cents and a half an acre, and on 

 Nov. 10, 1864, Dr. Stubel, the acting German 

 consul, by threats compelled Malietoa to sign a 

 treaty creating a State Council consisting of 

 the German consul, two Germans designated 

 by him. find two Samoans, one to be appointed 

 by the King and the other by the Vice-King. 

 This Council should have power to make laws 

 on all subjects affecting the interests of Ger- 

 mans or persons in their employ, and especially 

 laws in regard to crimes committed by Sa- 

 moans against the persons or property of Ger- 

 mans. The King bound himself furthermore 

 to appoint a German of the consul's selection 

 who should advise him on all subjects relating 

 to German residents and their interests, and 

 act as judge in cases in which Germans were 

 interested. The German officer in the Samoan 

 Government should also have supervision of 

 the prisons, and command of a police force for 

 the prison service and for the security of the 

 German plantations. On Dec. 29, 1884, Ma- 

 lietoa sent a protest to the German Kaiser, com- 

 plaininjr that the treaty was wrung from him by 

 intimidation, and that the former German con- 

 sul, Weber, was continually stirring up rebell- 

 ion, giving arms and money to Samoan chiefs, 

 and encouraging them to rise against their 

 sovereign. Soon after this Malietoa, Tupua, 

 and fifty-two chiefs petitioned for British an- 

 nexation. The King had offered the sover- 

 eignty of the islands to Great Britain about 

 a year previously, and also offered it to the 

 United States, in order to escape German dom- 

 ination. The British Government supported 

 German encroachments, in accordance with a 

 secret understanding, and the municipal ad- 

 ministration at Apia pa-sed entirely into the 

 control of the Germans. 



Tamasese, before he was set up as King by 

 Germany, never had a larg.' party at his back. 

 Malietoa had been able to crush the rebellion 

 at any time, but did not, because he knew that 



any attempt to enforce his authority against 

 Tamase.-e would be resented by the Germans, 

 and probably treated as a casus belli. The 

 Hamburg Commercial and Plantation Com- 

 pany was the earliest of the enterprii-es that 

 have led to the formation of a German co- 

 lonial empire. Prince Bismarck was willing 

 to extend financial Government aid when the 

 company had become embarrassed through 

 interfering with Samoan politics, but the op- 

 position in the Keich>tag w;is too strong. 

 The naval forces, however, were employed 

 to further the political purposes of the com- 

 pany, in which some of the Chancellor's per- 

 sonal friends were interested. In the spring 

 of 1886 Admiral Knorr went with a squad- 

 ron to Samoa, with the evident intention of 

 creating a state of affairs that would lead to 

 German annexation. He treated Malietoa, 

 the King, with open contempt and indignity, 

 visited the camp of Tamasese in his flagship, 

 landed with his officers and band of music, and 

 feasted with the rebel chief. The flag that the 

 Germans had given Tamasese was saluted, in- 

 stead of the royal ensign. Malietoa consulted 

 with his English and American friends, and, 

 by their advice, appealed to Consul Greene- 

 baum to proclaim an American protectorate 

 temporarily by virtue of the supposed promise 

 of the United States to extend protection in 

 the event of difficulties with foreign powers. 

 The fifth article of the American treaty was 

 so construed by the consul, who acted on this 

 supposition, although, whatever its covert in- 

 tent, it did not indeed promise more than the 

 good offices of the United States. The bold 

 action of Greenebanm and the attitude of the 

 English deterred the German admiral from 

 carrying out his intentions. He held no fur- 

 ther communication with the rebels, and in a 

 few days left Apia just as a British war-ship 

 entered the harbor, ilalietoa had been as- 

 sured by English consuls and by the captains 

 of English men-of-war that, if he refrained 

 from putting down the rebellion by force, 

 England would not only give him advice but 

 protection. At length the German Govern- 

 ment determined to depose Malietoa, and 

 notified the English and American Govern- 

 ments that, since the German represei.tatives 

 in Apia did not enjoy the expected support 

 from their colleagues, it would be obliged to 

 protect German interests by independent ac- 

 tion, and therefore found it necessary to de- 

 clare war and refuse to recognize Malietoa. In 

 a dispatch to the German minister at Wash- 

 ington, dated Aug. 7, 1887, the German Chan- 

 cellor wrote that Germany was unable to re- 

 nounce her demand for immediate reparation 

 for the insults to the Emperor and to the 

 national honor of which the partisans of King 

 Malietoa had been guilty, and must obtain a 

 guarantee that German interests would be 

 protected. 



In August, 1887, four German war-v 

 arrived at Apia, and on the 23d, after the 



