Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, Appendix I, Chinese-Japanese War, Enforcement of Regulation Respective to Fur Seals, Mosquito Territory, Affairs at Bluefields, Claim of Antonio Maximo Mora, Import Duties on Certain Products of Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela, Affairs in the Samoan Islands
Baron Saurma to Mr. Gresham.
Washington, September 13, 1893.
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor, in obedience to instructions received, hereby to bring to your excellency’s notice copies of two reports concerning the suppression of the Mataafa uprising in Samoa which have been addressed to his excellency the chancellor of the Empire, under date of July 15 and 19, 1893, by Mr. Biermann, the imperial consul at Apia.
I am instructed to add that the Imperial Government has learned with great satisfaction of the concerted action taken by the consuls of the treaty powers, and of the energy displayed during that period of agitation by Acting Consul-general Blacklock.
The Imperial Government entertains the hope that the consuls will direct their attention, as soon as circumstances may permit, to the collection of the overdue Samoan taxes.
I avail myself etc.,
I have the honor to inform your excellency that the conflict between Malietoa and Mataafa began on the 8th instant, and that the trouble has not yet been settled.
After the departure of the last steamer we consuls had several conferences with Malietoa and his faipules. It was readily seen on these occasions that the war, with most of them, was a cut and dried affair; that noticing but the most earnest dissuasion on the part of all three consuls could bring about a change in their determination, and even that, perhaps, only in case the positive assurance could be given that the treaty powers would interfere in behalf of the Government. Although it was impossible to prevent the war in this way, yet the consuls were united in their efforts and repeatedly succeeded in securing a postponement of the fighting until the fighting men of all the districts that had promised to take part in the war were actually assembled about Malietoa, so that there was more ground to hope that Mataafa’s party would soon be repulsed from the municipality.
Mataafa had advanced, on the 5th instant, with his warriors, until he was close to the boundary line of the municipality, to the west of Apia, but withdrew them on the day following, as the opposing force approached, to the Vaitele plantation, where he took up a position which extended in nearly a semicircle across the plantation to the rear of Malie, and which, according to Samoan ideas, was strongly fortified by means of stone walls and rifle pits.
As the mail that arrived here on the 7th instant brought no decisive information with regard to the speedy interference of the powers, Malietoa and the Government declared, on Saturday morning, that they could positively wait no longer. A part of the warriors immediately advanced against the enemy’s position, and between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon the fight began. Malietoa’s men were driven from their first line of defense with considerable loss, 30 men being said to have fallen, and 15 heads having been brought to Mulinuu. Firing was continued without intermission until a late hoar of the night.
The appearance before Mulinuu of 20 large boats, which constituted Mataafa’s naval force from Manono and Fagaloa, increased the excitement at Apia in the afternoon. This excitement gradually subsided, however, when it became manifest that the defensive measures which had been quickly adopted by the garrison of Mulinuu were holding the boats in check.
Mataafa’s adherents from Savaii, who had withstood the first attack, and had suffered the heaviest losses, were the first to leave him during the night preceding Sunday. Mataafa himself left Malie, after setting it on fire, about daybreak, and fled with his followers to Manono, so as to avoid the general attack which it was proposed to make upon him on Sunday.
At Malie and other adjacent villages many of the houses were burned, palm and breadfruit trees were cut down, plantations were destroyed, and the property of [Page 688] the rebels was confiscated. Those houses and lands which, owing to flags hoisted over them, could be recognized as belonging to white persons, were not injured as far as I have seen and heard. On the Vaitele plantation provisions were taken, but there was no wanton destruction of property.
The Aana people could easily have taken Mataafa while he was fleeing to Manono. The fact that they did not do so shows that Malietoa can not place any very firm reliance on the adherence of all the districts that originally declared for him.
Mataafa, after vainly seeking refuge at Savaii, is now at Monono. It is said that he is prepared to surrender at discretion, but that his adherents are seeking to dissuade him from doing so, they being willing to risk a battle for the possession of Manono. The next few days will it is hoped, decide the matter.
Malietoa won his victory by the aid of the Tumuas, who are, on principle, hostile to the Malietoas. The Tumuas generally are adherents of the old royal family of the Tupuas, to which Tamasese and Mataafa belong. This alliance, which is unnatural according to Samoan ideas, is probably to be explained by the fact that Tamasess’s adherents desire to be revenged on Mataafa for the losses which they suffered in 1888–’89. Attachment to Malietoa is certainly not the motive of their action. Hints are already occasionally heard which go to show that a reward for Tamasese is expected on account of the aid rendered by him to the Government. It will not be at all surprising if the desire is soon openly expressed that Tamasese be created vice-king, and the step from the position of vice-king to that of rival king is, in Samoa, at least, not a long one.
Should such a desire of the Tamasese people meet with resistance from the Malietoa party, it is quite possible that Tamasese and Mataafa would bury their differences and that the Tumuas would then join issue with the Malietoa party.
The dangers to the white population of Samoa are increased with every new war. The remark has repeatedly been heard in Mataafa’s camp that, in case of a victory being gained and an entrance into Apia being effected, the whites and their property would not be spared. A general disarmament and a strict enforcement of the prohibition of the importation and sale of arms are more important now than they have ever been before. Nothing, however, short of an imposing display of force would induce the Samoans to surrender their arms quietly.
I have the honor, referring to my report of the 15th instant, most respectfully to inform your excellency that the British war ship Katoomba arrived here on the 16th from Auckland, bringing the news that the treaty powers had reached an agreement with regard to interfering against Mataafa.
The consuls and the commanders of the three war ships held a conference on the morning of the 17th.
The commander of the British war ship and the commander of His Majesty’s cruiser Buzzard were at first inclined to postpone action against Mataafa until after the departure for Europe of the mail steamer, which was expected on Wednesday, the 19th. Sundry rumors, more or less reliable, concerning the instructions of the war ships, were in circulation.
The consuls were unanimously of the opinion that the opportunity of bringing the rebels to terms by surrounding and menacing Manono, and thus ending the war, should not be neglected. They thought that if action should be delayed a few days there would be but little likelihood of finding the rebels still at Manono.
The captains yielded to our arguments and declared their willingness to go to Manona on the 18th, provided that Malietoa’s Samoan supporters were then ready for the attack. If the summons issued bythe consuls, calling on Mataafa to surrender unconditionally—nothing but their lives was guaranteed to him and his chiefs—was not heeded, then the rebels were to be forced to abandon their fortified positions in those parts of the island where a landing could be effected, and thus the coast was to be cleared for the landing of the Government troops, who were then to fight the battle, unaided, on land.
At the close of the conference, the three consuls rode over to Leulumonga, which is distant about 25 kilometers from Apia, and where Malietoa, with his counselors, then was.
A promise was readily given to be ready at 9 o’clock the next morning to make the attack on Manono, and it was kept. About 130 large boats with from 1,500 to 2,000 men on board, were on the spot in good time.
The ships left Apia at 6 o’clock on the morning of the 18th. The consuls were on board of the British war ship in order to prepare the ultimatum, which was to be presented to Mataafa and to conduct any further negotiations with the parties that [Page 689] might he found necessary. When Manono was reached the ultimatum was sent to Mataafa. It was therein declared that Manono would be attacked at once, unless he accepted the terms offered, and came on board of the British war ship in three hours. Shortly after 11 o’clock two French priests, who had gone to Mataafa from Apia during the previous night, came on board of the Katoomha with the announcement that he and his chiefs were prepared to capitulate. At about a quarter past 1 Mataafa himself came on board, and his chiefs soon followed. As but a small number of guns had been surrendered by 3 o’clock, the Katoomba remained at Manonafor the purpose of effecting the disarmament alone, while the German ships steamed back to Apia, in order to be able to cast anchor before dark.
As to the next step to be taken in the case of the prisoners, no decision has yet been reached.
It is already evident that Malietoa’s position has been considerably strengthened by the material aid rendered him by the powers.
It gives me pleasure to add that the beneficial result (which it is hoped may be lasting in its effects) of the speedy arrangement and carrying out of this action is in no small measure due to the mutual cooperation of the commanders and consuls, and to that of the consuls with each other, and, finally, to the indefatigable and most praiseworthy energy displayed by Mr. Blacklock, the American vice consul.
P. S.—19th, noon. I learn from the interpreter of the consulate, who has just arrived here on board of the Katoomba, that the rebels have not yet been wholly disarmed. About 50 guns had been surrendered when the German war ships left Manono. Immediately afterwards a portion of Malletoa’s men went to Manono and took possession of most of the best weapons, in doing which they met with no resistance. The property of the rebels was then plundered in the Samoan fashion, in spite of Malietoa’s promise to the contrary, it being alleged, in justification thereof, that the rebels failed to surrender their arms, as they had promised to do.