Paradise Lost: The Expatriation of Germans from Samoa

First off, I'd like to point out that this blog is written in the 
spirit of honesty, and not intended to put the lovely New Zealand people in a negative light. You're probably wondering, why is this blogger interested in World War I and World War 2 so much? Well, it's quite simple really, other than the fact that it's strongly, strongly reminiscent of political events today, and there's really an endless amount of topics to discuss under this subject, and my family was directly impacted by both. I don't know much about how they were impacted by World War 2 because we eventually lost contact, though I have ideas. What I do know is that after World War I,  the Germans were expatriated from Samoa along with other Germans from other German colonies throughout the world in 1919, then again in 1920 because they weren't finished with us (at least in Samoa). And no it wasn't just "undesirables" who were deported unless "undesirables" meant "Germans." In which case, a colonial power can interpret the Treaty of Versailles article 122 in numerous ways, and you know they took advantage of that! Adults, children, and the elderly alike were deported. If you had a seven year old child who met the qualifications to stay but you didn't, you were deported. If you had a drop of German blood...you were deported. Unless, of course, you were a German man and you married a Samoan lady; in which case the German men married them in scores.

An interesting time capsule of the German plantations in Samoa.

As I mentioned in another blog, not only were Germans expatriated and falsely imprisoned, their possessions were also confiscated, including their plantations and whatever money they had. And so the story goes with expatriation. My great great grandfather, the first immigrant from my family, was really something else...he had to be for it was quite a risk to travel all the way around the other side of the world to a remote island. And no, I really don't feel bad that an alien power brought him to Samoa, it did not. He came by himself not as part of an established German government presence, perhaps for adventure or to retire (or to trade since he was a trader), as was the German trend before Germany annexed Samoa. His peers that came to Samoa in the late 1800s were noted as being old, kindly, bearded businessmen who were willing to help anyone out. Based on certain facts, I truly believe that this is true. The second wave of Germans were different, however...they were younger, and though there were a lot of good Germans in this conservative mix, there were also some racists and opportunists as well. Such is the trend, that throughout history when a country colonizes another one, it brings its racists and opportunists with them- that for sure is nothing new, but hopefully a dead concept in this enlightened new era.

Tid bit: The infamous Samoan taupou, the

high-chief's daughter or princess. Arguably

the most powerful position for a female in Samoan society,

she also has to be very beautiful.

I do not believe that the Samoan Islands should have been divided between the American, German, and British powers, but they were. That's part of history, and nothing can be done about it since history is set in stone, though I'm sure there are people who believe us German Samoans are guilty in some way for being the offspring of colonists. They would even laud that the German presence was extinguished from Samoa (and that it was for the most part except for 1-2 % of the half and maybe full German population...you'll find them all in Australia and New Zealand) because, you know, a European power is not supposed to steal land and oppress the native population. They cause bloodshed, create inequality, injustice ... etc. etc. etc. That is a valid point, but if we look closely, we might see that some good comes out of colonization...beginnings are always messy, two groups of dissimilar people have to adapt to each other, and exercise the virtue of tolerance that much more.  However, everything, including communication, societal roles, social norms, stereotypes, and misunderstandings evolve over time...the United States is a perfect example of that. We are a melting pot with very little differences between the races circa 2015, yet segregation existed in the United States not that long ago. 

King Mataafa, the inevitable winner
of the crown, and friend of Samoa resident
Werner von Bulow

But, yes, like all other colonies German Samoa was annexed through bloodshed, though not directly. That is the Germans didn't attack Samoa as a foreign power, instead they "volunteered" their military support when two chiefs, neigh three, were vying for the throne of Samoa-Mataafa, Malietoa Laupepa, and Tamasese. Everyone wanted to rule Samoa those days, chiefs and colonial powers alike. Germany's method of gaining control of Samoa was by helping the side they were on with arms (whether it be guns or gunboats) and advice, the willing puppet so to speak, which in this case was Mataafa. The war eventually escalated into a civil war, and at the end the Germans were there conveniently to help the Indigenous population rebuild their country, and simply declared the land theirs - so it was more of a manipulative, vulture thing, actually. Yes, six was the number at play that year and of course the colonists won in the end. But then generations of Germans born and raised there didn't have a choice in their forefathers' decision to annex Samoa and the methods they used to annex it. And why should they pay the price for their forefathers' decisions?

Tid bit: Obvious flower child  and author

 Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa (though 
his Samoan friends look more Peruvian
 than Samoan), where he wrote 
Treasure Island and other famous works.

It must be pointed out, that one colonial power or another was going to annex Samoa anyway. It's not called the Treasured Islands for nothing... in fact, the British colonial power saw it for what it was- a wealthy jungle teeming with resources. America, Britain, and Germany wanted the lands so bad, they even fought a bloody war between themselves during Samoa's civil war, so a war within a war (Shakespeare would have had a lot of fun with that scenario). To end the feud, they inevitably had to draw up an agreement to divide Samoa between them, without asking the Samoans for permission, of course.The thought probably didn't even cross their mind.  France probably had its eye on Samoa as well, and I know for sure that the Portuguese found it enticing at one point. So, not so surprisingly, one colonial power was exchanged for another after World War I, and a less liberal one at that; because the Germans hired the most benevolent colonial governor, a man way ahead of his time, to govern Samoa.

Governor Wilhelm Solf, the Bill Clinton
of the colonial world.

While some view the banishment of their chiefs as an evil thing, my research shows me otherwise. Governor Wilhelm Solf's regime was by far the most equal of all the colonies- British, French, Spanish, and yes much more equal than other German colonies. The oppressive Junker military presence in the colonial world, particularly Africa, was relatively barbaric and gave Germans a bad reputation throughout the world, so Solf's regime was probably tainted by association as the Big Three were drawing up the Treaty of Versailles.  He was an intellectual with a degree in law and linguistics, however, rather than an oppressive military soldier, and believed in preserving the Samoan people and their culture, which he saw as dying (a delicate endangered country, if you will). That's the reason you see so many traditional villages in Samoa rather than European style towns, he kept it as a garden paradise. The rest of the colonial world transformed their countries into little Europes or Americas, dissolving traces of their ethnic identity, while imposing theirs on the indigenous population.

Dr. Richard Deeken in his cocoa field.

Solf, on the other hand, was so much on the side of the Samoans, that he angered a lot of Germans.  Some Germans were simply annoyed that there was little German imprint on the island, so it was akin to living in pre-annexed Samoa, and not at all like home sweet home in Hamburg, where the majority of Samoa's colonists came from. The plantation owners were particularly irate, however, since the businessmen wanted profits and Solf's policies stifled their efforts. Some schemers, cocoa planter Dr. Richard Deeken in particular (it was he who instigated the cocoa rush which raked in millions...as a means to prove that Solf was wrong about the quality of Samoa's soil), tainted Solf's reputation by presenting him as an oppressive and ineffective leader to the native Samoans, particularly the chiefs, in their attempt to overthrow his regime and replace it with a more oppressive one that mirrored the military presence in Africa (God forbid). However, there is no question that the native Samoans prospered and retained a certain level of equality under Solf's leadership, which is why most of the Samoans, except the chiefs, cooperated with Solf. But nothing deterred Deeken, an unusually determined, trouble-making person, so Solf had to  banish the chiefs who were working in tangent with Deeken, and eventually sent him to prison for defamation of character. In other words, he checkmated Deeken's sly move, and saved Samoans from an unsavory future. 

The Germans actually had a funeral

for the German-Samoan flag,

and this is its headstone.

As for the generations that were born and risen with the Samoan population after the formal annexation, what makes a native Samoan anyway? When they expatriated my family and other German families, they expatriated generations that knew the colony as home, and Germany was certainly a foreign country to them, though outsiders might associate them exclusively with Germany. It was probably a culture shock, though, that all the towns were entirely paved without any palm trees or turtle ponds, and definitely without the fa'a Samoa they were used to. If they went to Mars, it would have been the same difference. The cherry on the topping is that most of them were stuck in Germany after World War I, World War II, and the rise of the communist wall, while people in Samoa were toiling under the Polynesian sun (the violence and communism of the world wars never touched Samoa). Several Germans successfully returned to Samoa after World War I, only to be deported once again during World War 2. 

The story about how a Samoan Lady's Kiwi lover killed

one of the leaders of the Mau movement, Tupua Tamasese Leolofi III, 

on Samoa's Black Friday (another good girl in love with a devil).

Of course, it's been three generations since my family lived in Samoa, so I can't say that I'm from Samoa, I can say I'm an American. I do feel the injustice that accompanied the expatriation one hundred years later (ceding the land over to the New Zealand government is one thing, throwing Germans out is another). Especially considering the fact that Samoa would have prospered with the business-minded, efficient Germans. It is the Samoans' land, of course, as it should remain, but it's a tragedy that they were occupied by another foreign country. If they're going to be occupied by an alien power, it should have been one that could help them advance economically, as they were doing prior to New Zealand's occupation.  In fact, Samoa was well on its way to rival the New Zealand and Australian economies. Very sad loss of potential.

 

Tid bit: Olaf Fredrick Nelson,

 Afakasi (half white, half Samoan) entrepreneur 

and one of the leaders of the Mau movement which 

sought independence from New Zealand.

Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the German colonization may have been the relative equity hey lived under because, years later, the indigenous inhabitants have full control of their country. Wilhelm Solf's insistence on equality seems to have shown Samoans that there was a better way than another alien power's approach to governance, and that they deserved equal treatment. So he may have indirectly empowered them to fight back, and become the first South Pacific nation to become independent (perhaps, ironically, you can thank Deeken a little bit for that as well). Becoming independent is quite a feat, it really is. America is still colonized, after all. And so is Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, the list goes on (and by colonized, I mean the initial indigenous peoples have no sovereignty over their land). Even though the Samoans have been relatively maltreated in the past by the colonists, at least they have full control of their country now, so they don't need to worry about being marginalized, at least in Samoa.

I thought it'd be interesting to showcase the modern culture with these beautiful women in the 2014 Miss Samoa pageant. Number 5 and 7 are German Samoans. Latafale (the winner) is from New Zealand, whereas Monica is a descendent of the few Germans who were able to stay in Samoa.

Miss Samoa became Miss Samoa World. And she's doing well
in the Miss World competition so far, having made it to the top 10
in talent, and top 30 overall.

What it all boils down to is this,  I am in the distinctly awkward position of being the offspring of German colonists who unfairly colonized a country, then were unfairly deported from the colony after World War I as part of war reparations that were unfairly astronomical (it was more in line with the World War 2 atrocities). Though Samoans should be sole proprietor of their country,  Germany's removal from Samoa was unjustly executed, and caused my family and many other families to branch out to several countries; which is why I'm in America and why I'll surely find a relative anywhere in the colonial world (and Germany).  And hey, while they were at it, they simply changed the German names on the German plantations to English ones, and spent the profits the German plantation owners earned. None of it went to the Samoans. But that was German Samoa, those days are done so I can put a fork in it, those fourteen years of German occupation are history. Samoa has a new day, she can make of her future whatever she wants. Many of us from the German colonial past can't help looking on her, thinking that she will do the Germans justice and rise like a phoenix from the colonial ashes, and take her place in the first world alongside beautiful New Zealand and Australia.

Samoa is still frequented by the Germans. In this vid the German tourist talks about how the Catholic church is completely open left- right, front- back in the typical fale style construction. He also comments about how the Christmas tree is on the ground.  When he's lying on the beach he talks about it being their last day in Samoa. Unfortunately it was first raining when he arrived there, but now they can now sit under a coconut tree and relax.

Articles

Germans and Samoans Reunite after 100 Years

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/news/whats-on-show-reviews/2011/nov/110769-samoa-and-germany

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