Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-19
A HOWL In BERLIN.
The American Commissioners Get
ting What They Want.
EUROPEAN PAPERS COMPLAIN.
They Accuse the Germans of Fool
ish Generosity.
DRAWING TO AN EARLY CLOSE.
With the Exception of Details, Mat
ters Are About Settled.
DRAWING TO AN EARLY CLOSE.
PROGRESS OF THE MINE STRIKE
The Government Warns Employers
That They Must Grant just De-
mands or Certain Privileges
Enjoyed Will BE Cut on.
The Samoan Conference.

The Samoan Conference.
lCoppright 1889 by Neto York Associated Press.l
BERLIN May 1S.-The fourth session of
the Samoan conference was held yesterday.
The meeting was called to order shortly
after 3 o'clock by Herbert Bismarck, who
presides at all the meeting, in accordance
with the established custom that the highest
representative of the government of the
country in which conference is held shall
preside. The proceedings were almost en-
tirely formal. They consisted chiefly in lis
| tening to the reports of the various sub-com-
| mittees which have been holding daily ses
| sions ever since the conference met At
| these meetings the real work of the confer
| ence has been transacted, and as nearly as
| can be learned the American commissioners
have succeeded in carrying every important
| point they set out to obtain. Indeed, so pre-
valent is this feeling in Berlin that the Ber-
| lin press and other influential papers in Ger
many complain of the success of the Ameri
| cans
While the greatest secresy in regard to
| the proceedings is maintained, aud hereto
fore nothing much beyond the fact that the
meetings have been held was known, it can
now be stated that excepting the question
/
and beheaded by the Samoans and one or
two other minor points, the work of the
| commission Is over. 1t is thought the res
| toration of: Malietoa to power is assured,
and that the plan for tri-partite govern
| ment in Samoa, for which the American
| commissioners contended against the Ger
| man 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 alb
i solute independence Of Samoa as soon as
| the people there demonstrate their ability to
go alone.
The indemnity question is yet to come up.
It may prolongs the meetings some weeks,
| but this is believed to be the only point on
which there is likely to be a serious contest.
| The question of Klein's connection with the
affair in which the German sailors were
| killed, has never come up, nor is there any
| likelihood Of its doing so. Neither will the
| commission hear testimony of any kind
| During the greater part of the meetings of
| the conference and the committees the only
| points of difference have been between the
| German and American commissioners, the
| attitude of the English members being neu-
! tral. Their influence generally has been cast
with view to settling the question as expe-
ditiously as possible. They have, however,
been strongly In favor of having protestant
| in power in Samoa, which is thought to ind-
| cate their preference Malietoa, who was
trained in an English protestant college.
1t is rumored the plan agreed upon Is that
America, Germany and England shall each
| appoint representatives, and that three more
members of the board of control shall be
| chosen by the rate payers. No liquors shall
L alt
can have such stores as they chose in their
| private houses. Fire arms are only to be sold
10 the government and then only under cer-
tain restrictions, which prevent their use
except for keeping peace A plan for giving
| the Samoans a revenue has also been devised,
which provides for the re-establishment of
their right to impose import and export du-
ties, which right is taken from them by the
existing Samoan treaty. 1t is understood the
| representatives of the three governments
| have expressed confidence of being able to
| obtain from their government this concessio
to help the Samoans.
To representative of the Associated
| press, who called on him to-day, Mr.. Phelps
said: "rhe proceedings of the conference
can not disclose, but may say through you
to America that nothing is interfering with
the successful conclusion of our labors but
the Cry Of the European press that German Y
is giving up everything. This charge is per-
sistently made, and is naturally irritating
our co.laborers. Moreover, it is not true
that mutual concessions are not made. Still,
Germany is more willing than America to
yield anything that would insure Samoan
independence and give the natives better
chance. This is the prime impulse of the
German as well as of the American dele
CATION.
The best indication that the conference / s
nearing a successful close is found IN the
fact that the emperor has invited all the
members to reception at the Schloss on
Monday. Only few days ago the delegates
were informed that an audience could not
be given earlier than The 27th inst. The
proceedings at Yesterdays sitting showed
such progress toward an assured settlement
ON every point that Prince Bismarck decided
to expedite the reception.
The emperor, impatient at the delay in
| bringing about peace between the miners
ana their employers, has directed the presl-
dent of the province OF Westphalia to convey
to the mining companies his emphatic desire
to accelerate a compromise. 1t is reported
that the president has resigned, the EN-
peror blaming HIM for allowing af-
fairs to drift and also for send
ing out false alarms as to encounters
between the strikers and the military. DIR.
Hintzpeter, who Is now, by command of the
emperor, making a tour Of the strike dis
trcts, in order to hear both sides, is charged
to warn mine owners that the goyernmen,
will resent their action If they refuse 10
grant the essential claims Of the men. The
power Of the government to make the en-
poyers feel the weight of its displeasuro lies
at hand. The mine owners have obtained
during recent years many fayors. They
have secured special tariffs throughout Ger
many, and have been granted low freight
rates TO Hamburg, Bremen, Belgium and
Holland, in order to enable them TO compete
with English coal. These privileges are
readily assailable if the companies are con