TROUBLES AT SAMOA.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 261, 16 February 1889, Page 2

TROUBLES AT SAMOA.

HIGH-HANDED PROCEEDINGS OF THE GERMANS. MR GELLING’S ARBEST. DETAILS BY STEAMER RICHMOND. Auckland, yesterday. The steamer Richmond, which arrived in Auckland near midnight on Wednesday, brought interesting details of the proceedings at Samoa. She arrived there on January 18 with a despatch from Berlin, addressed to the German Consul at Samoa. At 1.30 next morning a German officer came on board with a letter written by the German Consul, stating the Berlin authorities had instructed him to declare a state of war against Samoa. The bearer 0! the letter stated that he would hold the captain responsible that no cargo was landed; a German gunboat would row constantly round the ship, and he demanded that any contraband of war should be banded over to him. The captain protested, and at daylight Mr Edenborough took a boat and went to the British Consul, who denied that he had received any information or notice whatever from the German Consul, but he eaw no way of helping them, as the Germane had declared war, and had the right of search. On returning to the Richmond Mr Edenborough found that the Germans bad already eeized a cargo boat which was landing goods consigned to Americans -other consignees refused to take their goods until the difficulty had been settled. After much parleying it was arranged that all American goods should be searched on board the Richmond. They bored casks, opened tins of jam, bags of flour, and rummaged the cargo generally. In the meantime some of the consignees had been to the British Consul, and he stated that under the circumstances he had no power te stop the search. Mr Edenborough subsequently went to the German Consul, and asked the reason of the search. He was told that there was reason to believe that a large quantity of powder was secreted on board, and that no unnecessary obstruction would be given. On the Monday morning, immediately after the seizure of Mr Gelling, Mr Edenborough went on board the Royalist, and complained that one of the Richmond's passengers had been taken by force from the ship by the Germans. Captain Hand sent him ashore in one of the Royalist’s boats, and he eaw the British Consul, who returned to the Royalist, where he and Captain Hand discussed the situation. They came to the conclusion that the Germans had committed an outrage, and that the British subject arrested must be at once given up. On this they were quite determined to act, whatever the consequences. Mr Edenborough also saw the German Consul, who asked him to send the man’s goods and chattels on board the Adler, as it was his intention to deport him to Samoa and hand him over to the German consular authorities at Sydney. The Richmond, which had been closely watched up to the hour of leaving, sailed on the Wednesday for Tahiti. Mr Gelling, who was interviewed by a N.Z. Herald reporter on his arrival, states that on arriving at Apia he visited Mataafa’s camp. While there he spoke to Mataafa, and told him that the press and people of New Zealand were in sympathy with him advising him to memorialise Sir G. Grey on the subject. He then went back to the Richmond, and next morning a Garman officer, with a boat's crew, came alongside, and took him off to the Adler, where his depositions were taken. He was then informed that he would be tried by court martial, and told to send an order for his luggage to the Richmond. He was not allowed to see the British Consul. Immediately after the court-martial sat Captain Hand, of the Royalist, and Captain Mullins, of the Nipsic, came on board and asked for his release, which was refused. About midday Captain Fritz read to him the finding of the court martial which was to the effect that although found guilty of a breach of martial law, the Court was of opinion that he had no sinister motive in visiting the “ rebels’ ” camp. The Germans then sent him in a boat to the Richmond, where he was received with loud huzzas.

Both Mr Cusack, the proprietor of the Samoan Times, and the German Consul have appealed to the High Commissioner's Court at Fiji, against the verdict in the libel case. The German Consul considers that the fine is ridiculous; that it should he much heavier or better still that imprisonment should be imposed. H.M.S. Royalist is expected to return to Auckland on Saturday. It is believed the idea of the Germans in searching British and American vessels, and deporting them in the face of the British and American men of war, was to awe Mataafa and convince him that he had been completely abandoned by the British and Americans. The arrest and subsequent release of Mr Gelling have, however, had the reverse effect, as the natives are now convinced that the Germans were compelled to recede from their position by the action of Captains Hand and Mullins.

The outcome of the recent despatches from Berlin is that further aggression has been stayed, though beyond that nothing is known as to the tenor of the despatches. The Germans had expected five ships of war from the East African Squadron, but apparently the naval operations on the Zanzibar coast have prevented their despatch, or the order has been countermanded through the new change in front. Two more of the Germans wounded in the recent fight have died. A number of Tamasese’s men who ware wounded ,hava also died. Mataafa’s wounded have for the most part recovered. A singular difficulty has arisen between the Germans and the British Consul over the treatment of the wounded. Colonel Coetlogan sends a boat down under the red cross of the Geneva convention, and brings up the wounded for hospital treatment. They have been nursed by Mrs. Coetlogan. When they get better, Colonel Coetlogan sees that they are returned to Mataafa’s camp. Tamasese complains of this, contending that they should be neutral after being discharged from the hospital, and not permitted to fight against him again. The German authorities have forwarded Tamasese's complaint to the Consul. Colonel Coetlogan’s reply ia that he will be equally happy to attend to Tamasese’s wounded. The Germans having their own wounded on their hands, have not been able to give the same care to Tamasese’s men which Mataafa’s men have received. Up to date the Germans have buried 18 seamen and two officers.