The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-31
HAD TO RETURN.
The Land Commissioner on His Way
to Samoa to Settle Disputes.

10 OamOd 10 CeIGl5 disputes,
w. L. Chambers, the United
States Land Commissioner in
Samoa, was a passenger on the
Alameda. He is on his way to
Apia to settle some lard disputes.
The San Francisco Chronicle, in
speaking of his mission, says;
He was sent to Samoa 10 settle with
the native Government of the Islands
and the representatives of the English
and German Governments the titles
to lands and harbors claimed by the
| United States as a Government and
the citizens of this country who have
settled there. This duty he performed
to the satisfaction of all concerned,
occurring to Uncle Sam the Pango
Pango harbor and to the American
residents the acres they had pur-
| chased. This done, he left for home,
leaving England and Germany to set
| tie their differences as best they could.
No sooner had Mr.. Chambers arrived
| here than Secretary of State Gresham
sent for him, and said that England
and Germany were unable to agree as
to the rights of each country on the
islands, and they wanted the repre-
sentative of the United States to re-
turn and help them out. In conse-
quence, Mr.. Chambers goes back to
Samoa.
England and Germany, however,
did not desire to see the United States
step aside so soon, as Commissioner
Chambers explained last night. They
thought from the indications that the
United States, or at least the present
Administration, wished to step aside
and practically let Samoa alone. The
latter was true, so Mr.. Chambers
says, for it was the belief of Mr..
Gresham that through ex-Consul Sc
wall and Secretary of State Blaine
there had been too much jingoism
about our great interest in Pango
Pango and Samoa generally.
However, America couldn't well let
go, even though our land claims were
adjusted. The reason of it is, Mr..
Chambers says, that England and
Germany are very jealous of each
other. They don't know just where
the United States stands-that is,
which it would be willing to favor, if
either, but any rate they want this
country to act as sort of arbitrator.
Our Government therefore consent
ed to an extension of consideration
of the claims, in which Germany and
England alone are practically inter-
ested, and Mr.. Chambers is going
back. He hopes to have everything
Ill 10 -. T.,
airy Ist.
when l went out there $500 cases to
adjust" said Commissioner Cham
bers. "Of these, probably 800 were
American. We disposed of all the
claims but 34l, which yet remain.
"The land is good and rich down
there, and will grow anything that
can be produced in tropical cOun-
try" said he, "but markets are so far
away that freights consume the pro-
fits. Attention is being paid to spices,
ginger, indigo and other things hither-
to grown in CeylOn and other parts of
India. One German family has
planted out over 1900 acres of India
rubber trees. We import $9,0O0,O0
worth of these products year from
and only sell S1,OO0,OO0
worth of our goods there. In time we
may get some of these things from
Samoa.
"But the islands are 5000 miles
away, and we have less interests
there than any other nation. Even I
the French, who are far more numer-
Gus there than the Americans, and |
who have much heavier interests, are
not represented in the tripartite gov