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A Footnote to History-Part13_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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error. And at least the day for that was quite gone by; and he

arrived not to salute the king's accession, but to arbitrate on his



remains. A conference of the consuls and commanders met on board

the CALLIOPE, October 4th, Fritze alone being absent, although



twice invited: the affair touched politics, his consul was to be

there; and even if he came to the meeting (so he explained to



Fairfax) he would have no voice in its deliberations. The parties

were plainly marked out: Blacklock and Leary maintaining their



offer of the old neutral territory, and probably willing to expand

or to contract it to any conceivableextent, so long as Mulinuu was



still included; Knappe offered (if the others liked) to include

"the whole eastern end of the island," but quite fixed upon the one



point that Mulinuu should be left out; the English willing to meet

either view, and singly desirous that Apia should be neutralised.



The conclusion was foregone. Becker held a trump card in the

consent of Mataafa; Blacklock and Leary stood alone, spoke with all



ill grace, and could not long hold out. Becker had his way; and

the neutralboundary was chosen just where he desired: across the



isthmus, the firm within, Mulinuu without. He did not long enjoy

the fruits of victory.



On the 7th, three days after the meeting, one of the Scanlons

(well-known and intelligent half-castes) came to Blacklock with a



complaint. The Scanlon house stood on the hither side of the

Tamasese breastwork, just inside the newly accepted territory, and



within easy range of the firm. Armed men, to the number of a

hundred, had issued from Mulinuu, had "taken charge" of the house,



had pointed a gun at Scanlon's head, and had twice "threatened to

kill" his pigs. I hear elsewhere of some effects (GEGENSTANDE)



removed. At the best a very pale atrocity, though we shall find

the word employed. Germans declare besides that Scanlon was no



American subject; they declare the point had been decided by court-

martial in 1875; that Blacklock had the decision in the consular



archives; and that this was his reason for handing the affair to

Leary. It is not necessary to suppose so. It is plain he thought



little of the business; thought indeed nothing of it; except in so

far as armed men had entered the neutral territory from Mulinuu;



and it was on this ground alone, and the implied breach of Becker's

engagement at the conference, that he invited Leary's attention to



the tale. The impish ingenuity of the commander perceived in it

huge possibilities of mischief. He took up the Scanlon outrage,



the atrocity of the threatened pigs; and with that poor instrument

- I am sure, to his own wonder - drove Tamasese out of Mulinuu. It



was "an intrigue," Becker complains. To be sure it was; but who

was Becker to be complaining of intrigue?



On the 7th Leary laid before Fritze the following conundrum: "As

the natives of Mulinuu appear to be under the protection of the



Imperial German naval guard belonging to the vessel under your

command, I have the honour to request you to inform me whether or



not they are under such protection? Amicable relations," pursued

the humorist, "amicable relations exist between the government of



the United States and His Imperial German Majesty's government, but

we do not recognise Tamasese's government, and I am desirous of



locating the responsibility for violations of American rights."

Becker and Fritze lost no time in explanation or denial, but went



straight to the root of the matter and sought to buy off Scanlon.

Becker declares that every reparation was offered. Scanlon takes a



pride to recapitulate the leases and the situations he refused, and

the long interviews in which he was tempted and plied with drink by



Becker or Beckmann of the firm. No doubt, in short, that he was

offered reparation in reason and out of reason, and, being



thoroughly primed, refused it all. Meantime some answer must be

made to Leary; and Fritze repeated on the 8th his oft-repeated



assurances that he was not authorised to deal with politics. The

same day Leary retorted: "The question is not one of diplomacy nor



of politics. It is strictly one of military jurisdiction and

responsibility. Under the shadow of the German fort at Mulinuu,"



continued the hyperbolical commander, "atrocities have been

committed. . . . And I again have the honour respectfully to






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