Pro memoria.—From German Embassy, August 6, 1894.
The foreign office at Berlin has just received a telegraphic report from the imperial consul at Apia with regard to the disturbed political situation in the Samoan Islands. It appears from this report that while the uprising is far from being abated the position of the Government weakens from day to day; that the robberies committed on the property of the white residents increase, and that the natives are in such a state of want and poverty that there seems to be no hope for the collection of taxes.
The British admiral has visited Apia, but his presence did not materially promote the cause of peace. The King, Malietoa, has again addressed a request to the consuls for the disarmament of the natives, but to obtain this result the presence of more men-of-war in Samoa would be absolutely necessary.
This embassy has been instructed to bring these facts to the knowledge of the United States Government, and to request that while two cruisers of the Imperial German navy are at this time stationed in Apia the United States Government may likewise dispatch two men-of-war to Samoa, in order to bring about a complete disarmament of the native forces.
The Imperial Government is of the opinion that action has to be [Page 719] taken immediately and that warlike operations ought to be successfully concluded before the approach of the cyclone season, known to be highly dangerous to navigation.
Washington, August 6, 1894.