New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-15
rHE AGREEMENT SIGNED.
uoRK OF THE SAMOAN CONFERENCE Ao-
CoMPLISHED.
.,.x rEArunEs OF THE DocUMENT-AN Ao'
mosomous GOVERNMENT IN THE ISLANDS
THE sAMoANs TO ELECT THEIR OWN
KING AWAITING RATIFICATION
ny THE SENATI


rur s,MoASs TO ELECT THEIR OWN
KING AWAITING RAT1flCAIAoN
BY THE SENATE.
p..,,. J,ra ,A-The agreement negotated oy
A.. Ca,n,oiss;oners 70 the Samoan Conference Tor
~. s.,,lernent Of affairs in Samoa was signed oy
~ ~. r..rohers of the Conference this afternoon
..,,oa having abandoned her princlpal oOIec-
-, - ths-agreement previously arrived at, the
,,srinotentiaries had only 10 make unesseh'i"i
es,ao..inns in the wording OF the
80. The draft guarantees an autonomous
s,..in, NJ the islands under the
,oint control of Germany ana America, Enei"4o
,,,,ng as arbitrator in the eVen' vi "iAei1roe" Y
Ths samoans are to elect their own hlhg
snd y,oerov. and TO be represented IN oen""
,..r,ros.8 Of the principal chiefs ana Cnainoers
s,..t.a nv the people. Samoa is to have the rsn'
'.,oee ar,ias of every kind. The agreement also
s..~,.;.,.' ,hat the Germans shall receive money
s~Ss,.ri,v sor their losses. special court Will
=. aryo,r,ed 20 deal with the land question.
aLs sr.or;cans made their adhesion conditional
81. ,attAoasion of the agreement by the
s1s,..a S,a,es Senate. The status quo Will, there
60 obtain in Samoa until December.
M, pbelps will carry the agreement to Wasn'ns
.nn He win sail from Bremen for New-iorR Oh
the Fulds tomorrow ,.usroa
Tbf AGREEMENT Will not DC puOHoNeN "AA
s,v the American Government.
xaTrRE OF THE DOCUMENT SIGNED
.,rs oopHyrr DESIGNATION A MATTER OF DOUBT
GOLDEN SILENCE AT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT
Washington, June IA SpeciaD-ihe lanors OF
tbe three American Commissioners sent oy the
Administration to Berlin 70 negotiate settle
rnent Of the Samoan difficulties came virtually 70
an end this morning, when they APPENDED thelr
sienatures TO a document which emOod1es tnc
views Of the three Governments interested IN 'n'
matter. Word that the document was signed was
rsns,yea late this afternoon at the State De
partmens by cable
Az, efforts 70 ascertain the nature Of the agree
,n.n, reached by the representatives of the three
Powers were in vain The officials Of the Depart
fment even pretended to be ignorant as to whether
The document signed this morning in Berlin was a
treaty or an agreement Elaborate opinions
were given by some understrappers TO the repre-
ssntatiyes of the two press associations regarding
che difference between o treaty and an agree
ments An agreement" according TO their no
sion. WAS an instrument which affects prNate
claims only, while treaty concerns theS puohc
velfsre.s The We'll and L'Abra claims against
Mexiso and the claims against Venezuela ana
other countries, even though affecting matters OIL
an essentially private nature, were settled oy
sreatiss. while protocols of agreement very ol'en
cover matters affecting public welfare"
Is is also interesting TO recall the fact that the
,syr, aereemento is almost entirely unknown 70
any diplomatic authority. Thus in DR.. Francis
Whartop's digest Of international law the WORD
agreement" as indicating convention OK ueaoy,
docs nosr roncs sppear TIM proper naaae TO dess-
nate the document which Yves signed in Berlin 10
day would probably be protocol. Such protocols
cover matters exclusively of executive discretion
or OF executive construction. AS they auect
executive action only they need not be suoini''eu
70 the Senate. In the present case, ior instance
the protocol does not probably. commit the OO'-
ernment TO any new line Of policy or acuon' ou'
simply emphasizes at least atttmpts 70 put COT
roet INTERPRETATION upon treaty obligations already
incurred, to wit, the employment OF It's gooH
offices on the part Of the United States in behalf
of Samoa, should that country ever get into din
cultios with any foreign Government. A recent
rxample of a protocol of this class is that OF n
conference held at Madrid on January z, lSr"
between Minister Cushing and Senor Don Ecr.
pande Calderon COllantes, Minister OF state. Inns
protocol instead OF relating 70 private Claims
only sought 70 interpret number OF existing
treaties between Spain and the United States
which covered important matters OF ludlcial pro
cedure against persons CndrSed Wltn dCle VI s'H-
ton, treason or conspiracy against the Govern
ment of either country. The document being
simply an opinion by the two Governments as TO
the state Of the law in the two countries, did not
REQUIRE the assent OF the Senate and was promptly
made public. II the State Department should
reach the conclusion after awhile that the docu.
ment signed in Berlin this morning is not treaty
roouiYing the assent of the Senate, IL may make
its contents known in due time
Those who have watched the progress OF Samoan
affairs for the last three years are confident that
tie Administration would not, under ordinary cir
cumstances permit itself TO be party 70 treaty
which would naturally impose upon the United
States the necessity Of interfering 70 greater or
less extent in the internal affairs OF distant coun-
Try. Hence they argue that the document signed
in Berlin Is simply an understanding between the
three countries as TO the Interpretation OF the
treaties which each Government concluded with
Samoa, and further understanding 70 the restoru
ton to power Of that government in Samoa which
negotiated those treaties. and which may be sup
posed 10 execute the conditions OF those treaties
In a satisfs ctory manner The question Of a Ger
man indemnity 70 be paid by Samoa is not believed
% have at any time presented difficulties 70 the
Commission.
AN AGREEMENT THAT MUST BE RATIFIED.
lexuRAL PRESS DSPAIcH.I
Washington, June l4.-The agreement between
England, Germany and the United States on
Samoan affairs was signed at Berlin at o'clock
IN the afternoon. 1t will not be made public
until confirmed by the Senate. While it is called