The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-05
Rights to the Acreage of the
San Francisco Company
Confirmed.
FEW BONA.FIDE AMERICANS.
The Governments Station In Pango-
Pango Bay Not as Valuable as
Supposed.

port of w. L. Chambers, United States
Land Commissioner to Samoa, dated
February 3, 1895, was made public to-day.
Mr.. Chambers was one of the three Com
missioners appointed by the treaty powers
of Great Britain, Germany and the United
States, under the provisions of the Berlin
treaty, to adjust and settle all claims of
aliens to land in Samoa.
The annual meeting of the committee
was held January 4, 1894, at Apia. The
reports include all the title papers to
Samoan lands, and are of considerable
value. An exhibit attached to the report
shows that the total number Of claims filed
before the committee was 1892. Of these,
1922 were German, 1857 British, 307 Ameri-
can 326 French and Ii miscellaneous.
The total claims aggregated 1851, 1872
acres, while the island contains $50, 900
acres. Only per cent of the claims were
confirmed.
The vast bulk of acreage claimed by
Americans was rejected because of the
manifestly inadequate consideration given
for it and because the titles were defective
under several of the provisions of the
treaty. About 21,000 acres were confirmed
to Americans. Most of them belonged to
a corporation composed of San Francisco
stockholders.
SAT the time the investigation took
place" says Mr.. Chambers, 'this corpora
ton was insolvent, and is still reported in
solvent. The titles were confirmed to GER
tain trustees. None of the stockholders re-
sided in Samoa and so far as my investi-
CATION of the matter went none of them
had ever resided there, nor has the COM
pany nor its trustees an agent in the coun-
try. Deducting the land confirmed to this
company, l think it is safe estimate that
not exceeding 1000 acres were confirmed to
claimants. Almost all the land of the San
Francisco company is for sale and is liable
to be sold, if at all, to England's or Ger
many's subjects rather than to Americans
for whatever inducements there may be
for English or German investment in the
Samoan Islands, 1 cannot see that there
exists any reason for further American in
vestments."
Continuing, Mr.. Chambers says he heard
of only nineteen bona-fide Americans in
the country exclusive of officials and does
not believe there are thirty Americans
there all told, including those who claim
citizenship through naturalization. He
says there are several well-to-do Americans
engaged in mercantile pursuits one of
whom is the wealthiest man in the coun-
try. Some of these are married to native
women and probably will never return to
the United States.
''I have been thus explicit in reference to
the property owned by Americans as well
as to the number of Americans in the
country in order that the department may
know our relationship to Samoa as it
was developed in the course of the investi-
cations into land titles, and because l con-
ceive it my duty to let our Government
know how insignificant such interests
really are"
In reference to Pango-Pango Bay Mr..
Chambers says that the claim of the
United States Government was examined
and confirmed, but that the claims are by
no means so valuable as the American
people seem to think. What are thought
to be the most valuable parts of the shore
of the bay have never been acquired by the
United States. The harbor is so deep and
the bay so small that not more than three
or four ships could be anchored there in
case the wind was blowing either into the
harbor or off shore.
He recommends that if our ports are con-
sidered to be really of value steps should
be taken to acquire such additional rights
as may make those already held of use
He argues, however, that the station is not
likely to be of further use, and thinks the
ACCESSIBILITY of making future investments
there should be fully considered before
taking any further steps in the matter.