THE UNITED STATES AND SAMOA 227 



itary officer, Captain Brandeis, arrived on the scene as a 

 clerk of the German firm. He took up his residence with' 

 Tamasese, and began the process of tutoring that hopeful 

 candidate for the throne. 



In far-away Berlin, the Kaiser may possibly have been 

 touched by Malietoa's pathetic letter, at all events, he felt 

 that his representatives in Samoa had gone too far. The 

 German Government quickly disavowed any responsibility 

 for the events of the past few months and for the con- 

 duct of Consul Steubel. Of the improper course of Mr. 

 Weber (in reality a private citizen) it fully disapproved. 

 Had the Germans in Apia thereupon promptly restored the 

 statu quo of November, 1884, and then set about gaining 

 their desired reforms in a less aggressive manner, possibly 

 the humbling of the Samoan Government and the flag-raising 

 incident at Mulinuu would have blown over as a harmless 

 political squall; but they were not so disposed. Dr. Steubel 

 kept his flag waving defiantly for twelve months, through- 

 out the entire year of 1885, during which time the social 

 relations of the three consuls and the citizens of the three 

 powers residing at Apia were greatly strained. The Ameri- 

 can and English residents generally gave their sympathy to 

 the much-abused Malietoa, and the Germans were more and 

 more openly supporting Tamasese. Among the natives mur- 

 murings of discontent were heard on all sides. Two parties 

 were formed the followers of Malietoa and the followers of 

 Tamasese. The position of the former at Mulinuu, so near 

 the irrepressible Weber, who " rested not," became too deli- 

 cate even for the sensibilities of a barbarian, and he there- 

 fore moved into Apia proper, and raised his flag in more 

 friendly surroundings. The German Consul at once pulled 

 it down, and then the docile Malietoa quietly moved out of 

 the foreign concession into one of his own native villages, 

 and there once more raised his colors. Protests of the consuls 

 became the order of the day. 



In April, 1886, Admiral Knorr, commanding a squadron 

 of three German vessels, arrived in port and opened negotia- 

 tions with Tamasese, significantly ignoring Malietoa, whom 



