The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-22
THE SAMOAN CONFERENCE.
AMERICAN DELEGATES SUCCESSFUL
They Succeed in Carrying Every Important
Point They Set Out To Obtain-The Ger
man Press Makes Complaint
MIR. Phelps Interviewed.

BEEIIN, May 1s.-tCopyright, 1Ss9.]-The
fourth session of the Samoan conference, which
was held yesterday, took place in the small
room of the department of foreign affairs, in
which the other three meets have been held.
The apartment is furnished with extreme SIM
plicity. There is space for little besides long
table at which the commission sits. The meet
ing was called to order shortly after o'clock
by Count Herbert Bismarck, who presided at
all the meetings in accordance with the estab-
lished custom that the highest representative
of the government of the country in which a
conference is held shall preside. Count
Herbert sits at the upper end OF
the table, just back of plain little
desk which the late Emperor Frederick
used during his brief reign. He was tianked
by two colleagues. Next TO Baron Won Hor-
stein. who sat on Count Herberts right, came
Mr. Kasson, then Mr.. Phelps and then Mr..
Bates, the American commissioners At the
other end of the table the two secretaries OF the
commission, Mr.. Beauclerick, a secretary OF the
British foreign office, and Herr Stemleeh, of
the German foreign Office, were buSlly engaged
recording the proceedings. At Count Her
bert's left was DIR. Kranel, the third German
commissioner Then followed Sir Edward
Malet Mr.. Scott and Mr.. Grove, the English
representatives, in the order named. None OF
the commissioners were in uniform or court
dress, but all wore black frock coats.
The proceedings were almost entirely formal,
they consisting chiefly in listening to the re-
ports of the various subcommittee which have
been holding daily sessions ever since the con-
| ference met At these meetings the real work
of the conference has been TRANSACTED ana as
nearly as can be learned the American commits
| siOners have succeeded in carrying every i'm
portant point they set out to obtain.
Indeed, 50 prevalent is this feeling In
/ influential papers In Germany complain
! of the success OF the Americans.
/ While the greatest secrecy in regard to the pro-
] ceedings is maintained, and heretofore nothing
much beyond the fact that the meetings had
| been held was known, il can now be stated
that excepting the question of indemnity for
| German sailors killed and beheaded by the
\ SamOanS and one or two minor points, the
| work of the commission is about over. 1t Is
] thought the restoration of Malietoa to power
| is assured and that the plan for tripsrtite
government in Samoa, for which the American
| commissioners contended against the German
| plan for one representative, selected by the
| three powers, will surely be put into effect. 1t
| is also more than likely that the commission
/ has decided in favor of the absolute independ-
| ence Of Samoa as soon as the people there
| demonstrate their ability to go it alone.
The indemnity question is yet to come up.
| 1t may prolong the meetings OF the conference
some weeks, but this is believed 10 be the only
point on which there is likely TO be serious
| contest. The question of Klein's connection
| with the affairs in which the German sailors
were killed has not come up, nor is there any
| likelihood OF its doing So Neither VIII the
| commission hear testimony of any kind.
During the past meetings of the conference
and the committees the only point of differ
| ence has been between the German and Amerl-
| can commissioners, the attitude OF the English
| members being neutral. Their influence has
! generally been cast with a view OF settling the
| question expedtiously as possible. They
| have, however, been strongly in favor OF having
a protestant for king OF Samoa, which IS
| thought to indicate their preference Tor
Maletoa, who was trained in an English prot
| estant college.
The most important work of the conference
| has been done by what is known as the work
! ing committee, consisting of Dr. Kranet as
| sistant secretary of state for Germany, and
| Messrs. Scott and Bates and to which Messrs.
| Grove and Phelps were added as advisers the
first named on account of his long experience
| in British commercial affairs, and the last
named because of his long experience in
! America in the tariff and of his experience in
| establishing q government out OF the dlscord-
! ant elements in Louisiana. The duty OF this
committee has been the preparation of material
| for the general conference. In this class was a
plan to settle disputes concerning land titles IN
! Samoa. The German, French and American
| inhabitants OF Samoa have been acquiring
land so fast in Apis that little remains for the
natives, and il is claimed that their titles in
! many instances are doubtful, as the land was
| given them by irresponsible natives in ex-
change for liquor and trihes.
| This committee was also intrusted with the
work of setting the form of the government at
| Apia. 1t is rumOred that the plan agreed on
is that America, Germany and England shall
each appoint representative and that three
| more members of board OF control shall be
| chosen by the rate-payers. No liquor shall be
sold TO natives, although foreigners can have
such stores they choose in their private
houses. Firearms are only to be sold to the
government. and then only under certain re-
strictions which prevent their use except tor
keeping the peace. A plan for giving the
Samoans a revenue has also been devised,
which provides for the re-establishment OF their
right to import and export duties, which right
is taken from them by the existing Samoa
treaty 1t is understood that the representa-.
tives of the three governments have expressed
confidence of being able to obtain from their
government this concession 10 help the Ss-
means.
The stay Of the American commissioners in
Berlin is being made very pleasant They
are overwhelmed with social attentions from
distinguished residents. One OF the pleasant
est incidents which has occurred was the call
they made on Prince Bismarck at his request,
which was q special mark of consideration, as
the prince being in feeble health, rarely goes
out or receives any
To-day was the first time any ofthe delegates
showed willingness TO talk with newspaper
men about the work accomplished. This morn
ing when reporter of the Associated Press
visited Mr.. Phelps at the Kaiserhof hotel,
where the indefatigable commissioner was
found up to his eyes in work, and announced
his mission, Mr. Phelps said: "The proceed
ings of the conference | can not disclose, but
may say through you 10 America that nothing
is interfering with the successful conclusion OF
Ourlebors, but the ryOf the European press that
is persistently made and is naturally irritating
our co-aborers. Moreover it is not true that
mutual concessions have been made. Germany
is no more willing than America to yield any
thing that viii insure Samoan independence
and give the natives better chance. This il