THE UNITED STATES AND SAMOA 215 



several rival foreign factions in Apia), finally induced the 

 Samoans to pray for an English protectorate over their 

 distracted country. When the fact became known to the 

 foreigners in Apia, the German and American representa- 

 tives and residents were greatly alarmed. For once they 

 forgot their commercial rivalries, and acted together, their 

 interests being united in a common cause against English 

 annexation. With the connivance of the German Consul, as 

 is supposed, the American commercial agent at Apia hoisted 

 his flag over the city, and proclaimed a United States pro- 

 tectorate. A similar occurrence took place a year later, when 

 an English commissioner arrived at Apia for the purpose of 

 extorting certain treaty concessions from the king. Upon 

 this occasion English persuasion was rendered the more 

 potent by a squad of marines from a vessel lying in the 

 harbor; and the American flag was again hoisted by the agent 

 over the government building, in order to proclaim to the 

 world, and especially to the British commissioner, that any 

 treaties relative to Samoa should be made in Washington. 

 Both of these somewhat hasty acts were disavowed. 



The efforts made by the natives for English annexation 

 proved unsuccessful, and the disappointed chiefs returned 

 from their mission abroad only to find the land still in the 

 throes of civil war. Encouraged by the flag-raising pro- 

 pensities of the American Consul, they turned to the United 

 States, in the hope of finding relief in an American protecto- 

 rate. Mamea, a high chief, proceeded to Washington (1877), 

 but there he found no disposition on the part of the 

 authorities to depart from a policy that opposed all en- 

 tangling alliances with foreign nations. The generous offer 

 of his realm was declined by the President, but the object of 

 his mission to the United States was not wholly defeated. 

 He concluded a treaty in Washington, January 16,_1878, ^ 

 whereby the United States was granted "the privile^of ] 

 entering and using the port of Pago-Pago, and establishing 

 therein and on the shores thereof, a station for coal and other V 

 naval supplies";, the treaty further guaranteed, that there- 

 after Samoa would " neither exercise nor authorize any juris- 



