268 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



by Count Bismarck before the signing of that instrument. 

 The attitude of the Germans in suddenly befriending their 

 former enemy in Samoa served all the more to arouse 

 American and English suspicion in their motives. 



It was upon the operation of this protocol that the Tanu 

 party based its claims in court ; but thereupon Herr Rose, 

 the German Consul-General, came forward and officially 

 withdrew his government's objection to Mataafa upon that 

 score. Seemingly, then, Tanu was left without ground to 

 stand upon. The eligibility of Mataafa having been acknowl- 

 edged by the Germans, the only party who might rationally 

 object to his choice, and his eligibility having been accepted 

 by Judge Chambers in writing, the result of the judicial in- 

 vestigation seemed to be fully assured in Mataafa's favor. 

 Pending the trial, an agreement was signed by the representa- 

 tives of Tanu, binding themselves and their clients to abide by 

 the decision of the chief justice. Mataafa, firmly convinced 

 of his rights, refused to enter upon such an agreement. 



"After a trial of eleven days of patient investigation," 

 wrote Judge Chambers afterward to his brother in New 

 York, " two sessions each day and a hard study every night 

 of Sarnoan genealogies, customs, titles, and practices, I came 

 to the conclusion, from a legal and conscientious point of 

 view, besides upon the treaty and the laws and customs of 

 Samoa not in conflict therewith, that Tanu, the son of the late 

 King Malietoa, and who, by the gift of the people, had been 

 endowed with the name of Malietoa, was the duly elected 

 king." By the same decision Tamasese was created vice-king. 



Judge Chambers' decision was based, first, upon the pro- 

 tocol, which, he held, for all time barred Mataafa, and there- 

 fore left no other candidate in the field but the young Tanu ; 

 and, secondly, upon the fact that upon young Tanu only had 

 been conferred, by the natives, the requisite number of hono- 

 rific titles which, according to their custom, would entitle 

 him to the kingship. The indignation of the Germans, and 

 of the majority of natives, was very great when the result 

 of the trial was proclaimed ; indeed, when the opinion was 

 first read, December 31, 1898, a riot was only averted by 



