426 THE S A MOAN ISLANDS 



Over a docile and tractable folk, as most of the Samoans are, it 

 should not be dilHcult to create a permanent form of government 

 that would be acceptable to them. It should he strong enough to be 

 respected, si tuple enough to be easily understood, and sufficiently 

 economical not to impose too heavy a burden either upon the natives 

 or upon us, who will be held accountable in the event of failure. 

 The form proposed b\' the Samoan Commission and exj)lained at 

 length by the American commissioner in his report to the Secretary 

 of State, printed as Senate Document No. 51, embodies these princi- 

 ples. In place of the kingship, the commissioners recommended a 

 system of native gf)vernment, Avith an executive officer at the head, 

 whom they designated an Administrator, and to whom as the center 

 of authority they gave real powers of administration. The islands 

 were to be divided into certain administrative districts (^correspond- 

 ing as nearly as possible to those recognized by Samoan usage), for 

 each of which a chief was to be responsiljle, and these chiefs were to 

 meet annuall}' in a native council to discuss such matters as inter- 

 ested them and make recommendations to the Administrator and his 

 cabinet. Native courts were to be allowed to i)uiiish minor crimes 

 according to native law and customs, and every provision was to be 

 made to secure to the Samoan poi)ulati()n the complete enjoyment 

 of civil and j)olitical rights. 



It was only after a tour of ten days through the islands, during 

 which, at a series of meetings in the principal villages of each dis- 

 trict, the views of the chiefs on government were ascertained, that 

 the commissioners agreed upon the recommendations just cited. 

 Their aim in formulating them was to leave to the native the largest 

 lil>erty within the district and to teach him self-government through 

 the local assembly until he should be able to take his part in the 

 government of the islands with an intelligence equal to that of the 

 white man. At the same time they all recognized tliat tripartite rule 

 was impracticable, and that an arrangement like that since agreed 

 upon between the three protecting powers was the only practicable 

 one. In their joint report they strongly advised it, and no one re- 

 joices more than they that it has gone into effect. 



