The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-22
A DIPLOMATIC HITCH.
In the Berlin Conference Over
MalietOa and Indemnity.
THEY ARE MUM IN WASHINGTON.
The Diplomatic Prophecies Must Not Be In
nged-COmmissioner Phelps Seems
to be the Chief Peacemaker.

BERLIN, May Copyright 1899, by
the New York Associated Press From
certain indications at the rooms of the
American delegates, as well as at the
quarters of the English commissioners,
and at the German foreign Office, it is evi-
dent there is some serious hitch in the ne
gotiations of the Samoan commission. Mr..
Phelps, who is known as 1.-The peacemaker''
both in the conference and in the working
committees, is in evident trouble. First he
is interviewing an English commissioner
in his own rooms; then he is hurrying off
to the foreign office where he remains for
some time clOseted with the German repre-
sentatives, and then repeating the process.
When asked as to the situation, Commits
siOners Phelps, Kasson and Bates say
there Is no great change, and everything IS
progressing satisfactorily. Both the Ger
man and English commissioners refuse to
talk on the subject, but it is learned from
other sources that the United States gov
eminent instructed the American commits
siOners to insist upon the return of Malie-
tOa as king. a message is said to have been
received from Secretary Blaine within the
past thirty-siX hours directing the commits
siOners to insist upon the restoration of the
statu quo, and saying that Germany de
posed Malietoa as king and must return
him as king. They may haggle about the
indemnity or the unit of the dual or tri-
partite government if they please, but
Malietoa must be king. While the Ger
mans have come to agree with all
the other views of the American
commissioners, they are reluctant to accept
this condition and point to the fact that
MalietOa was pardoned by the GermOn EN-
peror at the beginning of the conference.
This, they claim, should satisfy America.
1t is thought a crisis will be reached at the
meeting of the conference to-day. The
American commissioners, last night, We're
quiet and conciliatOry in their utterances
concerning the situation, but expressed
their determination to remain firm.
The special correspondent of the AssOCi-
ated Press here was informed this evening
that Germany has finally consented TO re
store King MalietOa. This action was
taken finally after prolonged and persistent
efforts on the part of the An 'ican commits
siOnerS.
But now comes another hitch in the ne
sotiations. This fresh difficulty grows
out of the claim for indemnity
made by Germany. The American
section of the conference holds that if any
indemnity is paid, it must be merely
nominal sum. Germany, on the contrary,
maintains that in the conflicts between the
German forces and tie Samoans, the latter
were invariably the aggressors. Besides,
the native partisans of King Malietoa were
guilty of the barbarouS practice of behead-
ing the German sailors, as well as infiicting
upon the wounded particular cruelties
These acts, Germany insists, should entail
upon Samoa the payment Of d special in
demnity.
Earnest efforts are making in the com
mittee to settle the dispute, but the matter
is very likely to require reference to a
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