The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-19
THE SAMOAN
COMMISSIONERS
ARE PRIMED
For Their Mission to the Distract.
cd Islands by Copious
Instructions.
GIVEN COMPLETE AUTHORITY
To Garry on a Provisional Gov.
ernmcut Their Action
Must be Unanimous.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 1S.-Mr.
Bartlett Trip, the United States repre-
sentative on the Samoan commission,
called at the state department to-day
and was closeted with Secretary Hay
for half an hour. He also conferred
for some time with Third Assistant
Secretary Crldler, who has been partic-
ularly In charge of the Samoan negotia-
tlons, and then accompanied the secre-
tary to the white house, where he was
introduced TO President Mckinley be-
fore the cabinet meeting began. The
department Is adding the finishing
touches to the written Instructions
which will! be supplied to Mr.. Trip. but
in addition TO these. he will be made
fully acquainted with the private views
of the President and Secretary Hay re-
specting the proposed work for the
commission.
The three commissioners have been
left to deal with the selection of Sec
retary for the commission. but 1t Is pos
sible that 1t will be decided that there
Is no occasion FOR an officer OF this
grade. and that all the clerical needs
OF the commission will be met by the
individual private secretaries who will
accompany the respective commission
ers. 1t Is understood that DR.. Solf, now
in San Francisco. will accompany the
commission as secretary to the German
commissioner, Baron Sternbcrg.
At 1:30 this afternoon the three COM
missloners were entertained by Secre-
tary Hay. Mr. Trip will leave to-
morrow for San Francisco. Mr.. Elliott.
the British commissioner. will go to
New York, thence west. The commits
sloners may travel together from Chi
cago, but this has not been absolutely
arranged.
The Instructions.
The Instructions to the commissioners
have been completed. They are alike IN
all essential respects. They were sum-
med UP to-day by one OF the high, COM
missioners substantially rs follows:
The commission Is given complete au-
thorlty to carry on n provisional gov
crnment for Samoa. In doing this the
instructions carefully prescribe the pre-
servation OF order and the security OF
life and property as a first requisite. It
Is provided that the duties of all otIi-
clals heretofore exercising authority In
Samoa eithar under the treaty OF Berlin,
or In the service of either OF the gov
ernments shall be suspended In order
that the high commission shall have
complete authority over the affairs OF
the island. The commission Is required
to make report upon a variety of things
including the recent collisions and the
causes leading UP to them. also as to
the administration of the islands, the
rights of the several claimants 10 the
kingship. anG also what changes are
desirable In the methods by the treaty
Of Berlin. The instructions call for
uIanim!ty In oil action taken by the
commission. The action taken by the
commission when unanimous is to be
conclusive without referendum except
when 1t suspends n provision OF the
treaty of Berlin. In that case also, q
provision OF the treaty may be sus-
pended by unanimous agreement OF the
members, but the suspension Is ad ref
erendum and Is not finally binding un-
til the three governments approve or
disapprove 1t.
Treaty Suspensions.
The exact extent to which the treaty
can be temporarily suspended Is not
ers said today that It would require
consultation among the commissioners
to make this point certain. The in
structlons are broad enough to include
the recent troubles, the bombardment.
fighting, arrest OF German citizen,
etc. SO that these acute phases as well
as the general government OF Samoa,
will be adjusted without further con-
flict between the three governments.
In connection with the statement
made in the British house OF commons
yesterday that there was sworn evil
dence that n German had melted the
natives to ambush the Anglo American
party. 1t Is stated in official German
quarters that II any German has been
guilty Of such action the German gov
ernment will punish him. But the Ger
mun foreign office. It is stated, Is not
ready to accept the charge that Ger
man citizen was guilty OF thus incltlnU
the natives. II will learn the facts and
In the meantime instructions have been
issued to the commander OF the Ger
man warshiD Fake to see that the ac-
cused is held until the facts can be es-