The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-06
THE CARS PROPOSAL.


His majesty, the ear, having an
nounced his purpose to raise the imper-
ial mission at this capital to the rank
of an embassy. responded under the
authority conferred by the act of
March 8, 1898, by commissioning and
accrediting the actual representative at
St Petersburg in the capacity Of am
bassador extraordinary and plenipo-
Tertiary The Russian aQbassador to
this country has since presented his
credentials.
The proposal of the czar for a general
reduction of the various military es-
adjustments that weigh so heavily up
on many peoples in time of peace, was
communicated to this government with
an earnest invitation to be represented
in the conference. which it is contem-
plated to assemble with a. view to dis
cUssing the means of accomplishing so
desirable a result.
HIS majesty was at once informed of
the cordial sympathy of this govern
menr with the principle involved III
his exalted proposal. and of the readi-
ness of the United States to take part
in the conference. The active military
force of the United States, as measur-
ed by our population, territorial area
and taxable wealth, is and under any
conceivable prospective conditions
must continue to be, in time of peace
so consDicuously less than that Of the
armed powers 10 whom the cars APP
peal is especially addressed, that the
question can have for us no practical
Importance. save as marking an aus
picious step toward the betterment and
good will among them; but in this view,
it behooVes us as q nation to lend coun-
tenance and aid to the beneficent pro-
ject
The claims of owners Of American
sealing vessels for seizure by RUSSIAN
cruisers in Boring sea are being pressed
to a settlement. The equities OF the
cases Justify the expectation that a
measure Of reparation will eventually
be accorded in harmony with precedent
ANA in the light of fhe proven facts.
The recommendation made in my
special message of April 9th last, is re-
neWed. that appropriation be made to
reimburse the master and owners Of
the Russian bark hands for wrongful
arrest of the master and detention of
the vessel in February, 1895, by officers
Of the United States district court for
the southern district of Mississippi.
The papers accompanying my said mes
sage make out a most meritorlous
claim. and justify the urgency with
which it has been presented by the
government of Russia.
Malietoa Laupepa, king of Samoa
died on Aug. 22d last According to
article 1 of the general act of Berlin,
his successor shall be duly elected ac-
cording to the laws and customs of Sa-
moa."
Arrangements having been agreed
upon between the signatories of the
general act for the return of Mataafa
and the other eXiled Samoan chiefs,
they We're brought from Jaluit by
German war vessel and landed at Apia
on Sept. IS last. Whether the death
of Maleitoa and the return of his old
time rival Mataafa will add to the I'M
desirable complications with the ex-
ecutive of tripartite general act has
heretofore developed remains to be
seen. The efforts of this government
will, as heretofore, be addressed to-
ward harmonious and exact fulfill
ment of the terms of the international
engagement to which the United States
became a party in 1889.
The Cheek claim against Siam, after
some five years of controversy, has
been adjusted by arbitration, under an
agreement signed July 6, 1897, an award
of 106I21 ticals about $751;, 9S7.7S), with
release of the Cheek estate from mort
gage claims, having been rendered
March u, 1898, in favor of the claim
ant, by the arbitrator, Sir Nicholas
John Hammer, British chief license for
Japan's China.
An envoy from Siam has been accord
ed to this government, and has pre-
scented his credentials.