The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-04-23

which was sent before the steamer
sailed. If the Eay officer has ignored
the instructions sent from Washing
ton it is serious matter for the off,
Ger responsible.
Non-Inferference in Samoa.
In Washington, movement has
been initiated TO release the United
States from entangling alliances, as &c
was described by President Cleveland
into which it had drifted as 3 result
of the troubles in Samoa eliminating
in the treaty of Berlin in 1889 by
which the United States, Germany
and Great Britain undertook ioint
protectorBte over the Samoan group.
The arrangement has never worked
well and each of the parties TO the
treaty of Berlin have shown dissatis-
faction with its workings. The Unit
ed States In particular has been sub
jected TO degree of annoyance and
expense that the present Administers
tion regards as utterly disproportion-
ate to the small interests of American
residents in the islands. The SUBJ
stance of all objections is the convie-
tion that the present unsatisfactory
arrangement is un-American and
against all our traditions. The reso-
luton introduced in the Senate q few
days ago by Senator Gray calling for
the correspondence relative TO Samoa
was the initial step in the movement
toward release from the tripartite
agreement. Further than this, re-
solution has been introduced ia execu-
tive session bearing on the same sub
ject and looking TO our withdrawal
from the agreement. Such withdrawal
or at least some material notifications
of the treaty toward that end may be
easily effected, for article s provides
that upon the request OF either power,
after three years from the signature
of the treaty land that time has
elapsed), the powers shall consider by
common accord, and ameliorations, II
any, may be introduced into the pro-
visions of the general act. The pro-
visions of the act are to be continued
in force until changed by the consent
of the three powers.
Among the passengers on the Mono
wal, which arrived from Australia,
via Samoa and Honolulu, was William
Lee Chambers, United States Land
Commissioner to Samoa Mr. Cham
bers was appointed by the President
last fall to assist the German and
English Commissioners in the adjust
ment of the land claims at Samoa in
accordance with the provisions of the
Berlin treaty of June IA, 1889. The
claims to lands by the foreign element
in the islands has caused dissensions
among the natives for many years,
and their settlement formed one of the
chief features of the treaty. The for
eigners, before the interference of the
powers, had simply gobbled up all the
land in sight, and, according TO Mr..
Chambers, they held claims to over
100000 acres, while all the land IN
the group has an area of only 900, 900
acres. Nearly all the claims have
been decided and the native were very
much pleased at the result of the com
missioner's work. The most import
ant work done by the commissioner,
through the efforts of Mr. Chambers,
was securing the title to Pago Pago
harbor TO the United States. The
harbor is one of the finest in the
world, and on the account of its geo
graphical position is most important
to this country. 1t is naturally shell
tered and fortified, and can easily give
anchorage to the navies of the world
The commission, beside Mr. Cham
bers, was composed of Bagett NJ. Hag-
gard for England and Herr I. Greiner
for Germany. Commissioner Haggard
is 4 brother of Rider Haggard, the
novelist.