Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-02-15
ISLAND INTERESTS.
Controversies Over Our Rights
in the Pacific.
THE SAMOAN AND GILBERT AFFAIRS

Diplomatic Correspondence with England
in Regard Thereto--Foster Approves the
Hawaiian Protectorate - Some Stock
holders In the Nicaragua Canal that
Seem to Be In q Bad Way, According to
Talk In the Senate-Further Facts About
the Whisky Trust-Dewar on the Stand
Again-Capital City Items.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-The relations of
the United States with other powers, grow
ing out of the protection of the interests of
the United States and its citizens in the
islands of the Pacific ocean, have been the
subject of considerable correspondence that
win appear in the forthcoming volume OF
Foreign Relations Some of this CORE
spondence is particularly interesting at the
present juncture of affairs. Nra ton has
been made of the fact that at thu s.me Cap
tain Davis, of her majesty's ship Royalist,
hoisted the British flag over the Gilbert
island June IL, 1892, his treatment of Mr..
Adolph Rick, the commercial agent Of the
United States at Butaritari. was such as
to call forth a protest from Secretary Fos-
ter which was filed with Lord Rosebery on
the 10th of November last by Mr. Henry
White, secretary of the American legation
in London
Davis Seems to BE q "Chump."
From the correspondence it appears that
Captain Davis refused to recognize Mr..
Kick as consular representative until he
should be accredited to her majesty, the
queen, and he demanded that the printed
heading "United States Consulate, Buta
ritari,' should be erased from letters en-
trusted to him under the usual courtesy Of
forwarding home-bound mails by return
ing war vessels for transmission to the de-
partment Of state, on the ground that it
was not courteous. Mr.. Rick refused to
comply with the demand and the letters
were carried by Captain Davis in the origi-
nal form presented to him
Rosebery Smoothes Things Over.
Subsequently, under date of Dec. Q, LORI
Rosebery informed Mr. White that the
British authorities and officials in the vi.
cinity of the Gilbert islands had been in
structed to recognize Rick as commercial
agent of the United States in the Gilbert
islands, and at the same time expressed the
regret of her majesty's government that
Captain Davis did not extend to Rick pro
visional recognition, giving, in the mean.
time, the assurance that the rights and in
terests of United States citizens established
In the Gilbert islands would be fully recor,.
niZed and respected by the British authori.
ties
Pago-PagO Harbor Concession.
There has also been some correspondence
over the concession of a cOaling station to
the United States by Samoa in the harbor
of PagO-PagO, it being believed that Eng
land was preparing to obtain a station in
the same harbor. This was resisted by the
United States, and in letter to our legation
at London, Secretary of State Foster very
plainly states that the United States holds
the concessiod for the harbor of Pago-Pago
and that Samoa has not been able for years
to give concession to any other power,
having already given one to the United
States. The American government has
taken continuous measures to maintain its
vested rights in the said harbor since 1872
The Harbor Not to BE Closed.
In the letter mentioned in the foregoing
Secretary Foster says: "The terms and OBJ.
jects of the exclusive cession of the right to
use the port and shores for u naval and
coaling station are Compatible with. and
may be regarded as, meaning that, like
Salua Fata, the harbOr of Pago-Pago shall
not be closed on account of the rights
granted to the United States to the naval
or mercantile ships of any other such ma
tions for whom the Samoan government
keep their other ports open, but the Samoan
government shall not grant to any other
nation such rights with respect to the har-
Dor of Pago-Pago and Its shores as those
granted to the government of the United
States" This declaration of views was con-
veyed to Lord Rosebery on the 18th of No
vember and he promised thde'it should re.
ceive his prompt attention.