[Inclosure with November
10.—Translation.]
Copy of Report of the Imperial Consul at
Apia.
Referring to my report No. 64 of the 15th ultimo, I have the honor to
state that the Aana insurgents, headed by young Tamasese, have now
apparently made peace with the Government, and in the formal Samoan
manner declared their submission to, and in the presence of,
Malietoa.
After peace had been concluded at Atua on the 13th and 14th ultimo,
Captain Scheder was especially desirous that one should also enter
at once into negotiations with the Aanas, and that peace should be
restored there without delay.
Captain Gibson desired first to go to Pago Pago to coal; but apart
from that declined further action for the present, inasmuch as he
shared the opinion of the German commander that the forcible
intervention in Aana was prohibited by the authorities. Captain
Scheder’s request whether the consuls would not go to Aana to act in
the interest of peace I declined, in agreement with the other
consuls. We were of tne opinion if, under the circumstances, that is
to say, if to the question which the insurgents would be certain to
put to us first, whether the war ships would intervene, that is, if
necessary fire upon them, we were not able frankly to say yes, that
our labor would be fruitless, if indeed not detrimental.
Only then could renewed negotiations with the Aanas have some
prospect of success if the expression of a desire therefor should
emanate from them.
After Atua had quieted down, all Government troops proceeded to
Aana—in the first place to rest from the hardships of their march to
Atua, then to commit thefts on the plantations and to hold meetings.
This flooding of Aana with many hungry bands of soldiers had at
least the beneficial result to render the gathering of supplies by
the insurgents for their fort more difficult. The chiefs in Atua
heard, possibly, also that the Aanas would, notwithstanding, be
finally suppressed, and both parties therefore had a daily
increasing interest to bring about peace.
On August 23 His Majesty’s cruiser Falke
arrived at Apia from Saluafata, where she was stationed to
reconnoiter the Atuans, and brought the intelligence that according
to Atuan statements Aana, as a part of the Tumua party, would
recognize for themselves the treaty of peace concluded by the Atuans
with Malietoa and their declared submission.
As the Falke was to return the same day to
Atua, an immediate conference took place between the commander, the
consuls, and President Schmidt. The result thereof was that it was
decided to essay without a threat of violence to obtain for the
Government the most favorable peace possible, as an enforcement of
the same according to the declaration of the commanders was
practically precluded.
On the evening of the 25th Malietoa called to inform me that he, too,
had heard from a reliable source that the Aanas desired to make
peace.
[Page 731]
The same intelligence was received by Captain Scheder, who had sailed
on the 24th with the Bussard for Aana in
order personally to reeonnoiter the insurgents’ position. As he also
recognized the danger, to which the German plantation would be
exposed from a protracted warfare, he sent immediate advices to
Captain Gibson and myself, and strongly recommended that the Curacao should be sent to Mulifanua in order
to assist in restoring peace, and to bring about, as in Atua,
submission to Malietoa. The Curacao, with
President Schmidt on board, left Apia on Monday, the 27th, and on
the 28th Tamasese and the other insurgent chiefs met Malietoa on
board and declared their submission to him. The conditions of peace
were the same as those in Atua.
On the 29th and 30th of August, after the 100 rifles had been
delivered up to the war vessels, and the greater part of the
Government troops had left Aana, and the Aanas themselves had
largely dispersed to their villages, the war vessels returned to
Apia.
That peace will be lasting is hardly to be presumed. The lesson given
by firing on Atua was not sufficiently sharp and incisive to leave a
lasting impression upon the forgetful Samoan temperament. In fact,
conditions are now again existing which show that peace will not
last and is not seriously intended. Malietoa and his chiefs are
convinced that the departure of the war ships will be the signal for
the renewal of the war. The circumstance that the representatives of
the villages of all the districts which were opposed to the
Government have already withdrawn to Atua to hold meetings, and that
both Atua and Aana have forbidden the inhabitants of those districts
which fought on the side of the Government to return to their
villages, and have already partly burned down the latter, indicate
that a real reconciliation of the parties is still far off. The
people of Atua and Aana remain by force of necessity in the
neighborhood of Apia, and unfortunately bring themselves into
unpleasant notoriety by committing thefts in the plantations. I
should like to point out, in especial, that in case of a renewal of
the war, the attitude of Savaii may be considered doubtful, and that
the Tuamasagas alone could hardly oppose the attack made from both
sides. The result would be an overrunning of Apia by rebel
hordes.
