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第15章

a footnote to history-第15章

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districts in Tutuila; having made a difficulty; Brandeis is down at 

the island in a schooner; with the ADLER at his heels; seizes the 

chief Maunga; fines the recalcitrant districts in three hundred 

dollars for expenses; and orders all to be in by April 20th; which 

if it is not; 〃not one thing will be done;〃 he proclaimed; 〃but war 

declared against you; and the principal chiefs taken to a distant 

island。〃  He forbade mortgages of copra; a frequent source of 

trickery and quarrel; and to clear off those already contracted; 

passed a severe but salutary law。  Each individual or family was 

first to pay off its own obligation; that settled; the free man was 

to pay for the indebted village; the free village for the indebted 

province; and one island for another。  Samoa; he declared; should 

be free of debt within a year。  Had he given it three years; and 

gone more gently; I believe it might have been accomplished。  To 

make it the more possible; he sought to interdict the natives from 

buying cotton stuffs and to oblige them to dress (at least for the 

time) in their own tapa。  He laid the beginnings of a royal 

territorial army。  The first draft was in his hands drilling。  But 

it was not so much on drill that he depended; it was his hope to 

kindle in these men an ESPRIT DE CORPS; which should weaken the old 

local jealousies and bonds; and found a central or national party 

in the islands。  Looking far before; and with a wisdom beyond that 

of many merchants; he had condemned the single dependence placed on 

copra for the national livelihood。  His recruits; even as they 

drilled; were taught to plant cacao。  Each; his term of active 

service finished; should return to his own land and plant and 

cultivate a stipulated area。  Thus; as the young men continued to 

pass through the army; habits of discipline and industry; a central 

sentiment; the principles of the new culture; and actual gardens of 

cacao; should be concurrently spread over the face of the islands。



Tamasese received; including his household expenses; 1960 dollars a 

year; Brandeis; 2400。  All such disproportions are regrettable; but 

this is not extreme:  we have seen horses of a different colour 

since then。  And the Tamaseseites; with true Samoan ostentation; 

offered to increase the salary of their white premier:  an offer he 

had the wisdom and good feeling to refuse。  A European chief of 

police received twelve hundred。  There were eight head judges; one 

to each province; and appeal lay from the district judge to the 

provincial; thence to Mulinuu。  From all salaries (I gather) a 

small monthly guarantee was withheld。  The army was to cost from 

three to four thousand; Apia (many whites refusing to pay taxes 

since the suppression of the municipality) might cost three 

thousand more:  Sir Becker's high feat of arms coming expensive (it 

will be noticed) even in money。  The whole outlay was estimated at 

twenty…seven thousand; and the revenue forty thousand:  a sum Samoa 

is well able to pay。



Such were the arrangements and some of the ideas of this strong; 

ardent; and sanguine man。  Of criticisms upon his conduct; beyond 

the general consent that he was rather harsh and in too great a 

hurry; few are articulate。  The native paper of complaints was 

particularly childish。  Out of twenty…three counts; the first two 

refer to the private character of Brandeis and Tamasese。  Three 

complain that Samoan officials were kept in the dark as to the 

finances; one; of the tapa law; one; of the direct appointment of 

chiefs by Tamasese…Brandeis; the sort of mistake into which 

Europeans in the South Seas fall so readily; one; of the enforced 

labour of chiefs; one; of the taxes; and one; of the roads。  This I 

may give in full from the very lame translation in the American 

white book。  〃The roads that were made were called the Government 

Roads; they were six fathoms wide。  Their making caused much damage 

to Samoa's lands and what was planted on it。  The Samoans cried on 

account of their lands; which were taken high…handedly and abused。  

They again cried on account of the loss of what they had planted; 

which was now thrown away in a high…handed way; without any regard 

being shown or question asked of the owner of the land; or any 

compensation offered for the damage done。  This was different with 

foreigners' land; in their case permission was first asked to make 

the roads; the foreigners were paid for any destruction made。〃  The 

sting of this count was; I fancy; in the last clause。  No less than 

six articles complain of the administration of the law; and I 

believe that was never satisfactory。  Brandeis told me himself he 

was never yet satisfied with any native judge。  And men say (and it 

seems to fit in well with his hasty and eager character) that he 

would legislate by word of mouth; sometimes forget what he had 

said; and; on the same question arising in another province; decide 

it perhaps otherwise。  I gather; on the whole; our artillery 

captain was not great in law。  Two articles refer to a matter I 

must deal with more at length; and rather from the point of view of 

the white residents。



The common charge against Brandeis was that of favouring the German 

firm。  Coming as he did; this was inevitable。  Weber had bought 

Steinberger with hard cash; that was matter of history。  The 

present government he did not even require to buy; having founded 

it by his intrigues; and introduced the premier to Samoa through 

the doors of his own office。  And the effect of the initial blunder 

was kept alive by the chatter of the clerks in bar…rooms; boasting 

themselves of the new government and prophesying annihilation to 

all rivals。  The time of raising a tax is the harvest of the 

merchants; it is the time when copra will be made; and must be 

sold; and the intention of the German firm; first in the time of 

Steinberger; and again in April and May; 1888; with Brandeis; was 

to seize and handle the whole operation。  Their chief rivals were 

the Messrs。 MacArthur; and it seems beyond question that provincial 

governors more than once issued orders forbidding Samoans to take 

money from 〃the New Zealand firm。〃  These; when they were brought 

to his notice; Brandeis disowned; and he is entitled to be heard。  

No man can live long in Samoa and not have his honesty impugned。  

But the accusations against Brandeis's veracity are both few and 

obscure。  I believe he was as straight as his sword。  The governors 

doubtless issued these orders; but there were plenty besides 

Brandeis to suggest them。  Every wandering clerk from the firm's 

office; every plantation manager; would be dinning the same story 

in the native ear。  And here again the initial blunder hung about 

the neck of Brandeis; a ton's weight。  The natives; as well as the 

whites; had seen their premier masquerading on a stool in the 

office; in the eyes of the natives; as well as in those of the 

whites; he must always have retained the mark of servitude from 

that ill…judged passage; and they would be inclined to look behind 

and above him; to the great house of MISI UEBA。  The government was 

like a vista of puppets。  People did not trouble with Tamasese; if 

they got speech with Brandeis; in the same way; they might not 

always trouble to ask Brandeis; if they had a hint direct from MISI 

UEBA。  In only one case; though it seems to have had many 

developments; do I find the premier personally committed。  The 

MacArthurs claimed the copra of Fasitotai on a district mortgage of 

three hundred dollars。  The German firm accepted a mortgage of the 

whole province of Aana; claimed the copra of Fasitotai as that of a 

part of Aana; and were supported by the government。  Here Brandeis 

was false to his own principle; that personal and village debts 

should come before provincial。  But the case occurred before the 

promulgation of the law; and 

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