There were two ways of
escaping this dilemma: one was to withdraw the warriors; the other, by
some hocus-pocus, to abrogate the neutrality. And the second had
subsidiary advantages: it would restore the taxes of the richest district
in the islands to the Samoan king; and it would enable them to substitute
over the royal seat the flag of Germany for the new flag of Tamasese. It
is true (and it was the subject of much remark) that these two could
hardly be distinguished by the naked eye; but their effects were
different. To seat the puppet king on German land and under German
colours, so that any rebellion was constructive war on Germany, was a
trick apparently invented by Becker, and which we shall find was repeated
and persevered in till the end.
Otto Martin was at this time magistrate in the municipality. The post
was held in turn by the three nationalities; Martin had served far beyond
his term, and should have been succeeded months before by an American. To
make the change it was necessary to hold a meeting of the municipal
board, consisting of the three consuls, each backed by an assessor. And
for some time these meetings had been evaded or refused by the German
consul. As long as it was agreed to continue Martin, Becker had attended
regularly; as soon as Sewall indicated a wish for his removal, Becker
tacitly suspended the municipality by refusing to appear.
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