THE UNITED STATES AND SAMOA 225 



I hope and pray that God will bless your Majesty and your 

 Government. 



I am, your Majesty, 



MALIETOA, KING OF SAMOA. 



No more effective state paper has ever been written, but 

 the German Consul-General, Herr Steubel, was not the man 

 to permit the advantage he had just gained to slip from his 

 grasp. Resolving upon an extreme policy, at an opportune 

 moment (emulating the example of a former American Con- 

 sul), he hoisted the German flag over Mulinuu (January 23, 

 1885), and nailed to a tree the following interesting procla- 

 mation: 



Let all the people of Samoa observe during the long period that 

 Malietoa has been king, the Government of Germany has been 

 treated with unkindness and injury, and all agreements that have 

 been made between the Governments of Germany and Samoa have 

 been repeatedly violated. For that reason I must now make 

 arrangements necessary for the protection of the subjects of my 

 government and their possessions. This is my view of that which 

 is necessary to be done : that I should take possession of the 

 lands of the village and district of Apia, in which are included 

 Mulinuu and the Harbor of Apia, to hold possession under the 

 supreme control (that was under the Government of Malietoa) for 

 the Government of Germany. This is the sign of this I have 

 hoisted the flag of His Imperial German Majesty in Mulinuu. 

 This is the meaning of it (the hoisting of the flag), that only the 

 Government of Germany will rule for the present over that por- 

 tion of territory. 



Samoans, I tell you now plainly, that it is only the territory 

 that is called the Municipality that is taken possession of, but 

 no other portion of land in Samoa is taken possession of. 



It is good, too, that you should be well acquainted with the reason 

 of that which is done. It is no unkindness at all to Samoa. The 

 German Government only wish for Samoa to have a strong gov- 

 ernment that shall maintain cordial relations with the Govern- 

 ment of Germany. When a peaceful solution of these difficulties 

 is effected, the lands now taken possession of will be given up again. 



I beseech you to be at peace and to have confidence in the 

 Government of Germany and myself ; then Samoa will indeed be 

 prosperous. 



DR. STEUBEL, IMPERIAL GERMAN CONSUL. 



