The age-herald., 1899-08-20
HE REFUSES 10 TALK YET Has Not Made His Report to
 Washington OF <,'ss SPEAKS OF THE APER MEN They Have Beer 2 to the Eminent tourist, and .egrets His h.
 ability : tive Them
 Any Information
BY E. F. KERSH

BY E. F. KERSH
 Age-Herald Bureau, Hotel Mabson, Mont- I gomery August 19.-(SpeciaI) )-Chief Jus- tice William L. Chambers, of Samoa, reached Montgomery last night coming di- rect here from St. Louis. He journeyed from the far west on the Burlington While in Montgomery he will be the guest of his sister, Mrs. c. A. Lanier, Sr., and his brother, Robert J. Chambers Judge Cham- bers is accompanied by Mrs. Chambers, Miss Chambers, Miss Louise Chambers MT. Clopton Chambers and Master William Chambers. Justice Chambers will remain in Montgomery a few days and then go to Washington to meet the members of the international commission, which recently completed its labors in the islands.
 Refused to Talk
 When Justice Chambers arrived last night he refused to talk to the newspaper men, saying that he could not give out anything at present This morning I called at the beautiful home of MT. Lanier and Justice Chambers very readily gave me an inter- view for The Age-Herald
 Justice Chambers has lost none of his former characteristics which render him easy of approach. Though ne has attained an international prominence and his opin- ions sought and watched for by three of the greatest nations of the earth, he still shows his accustomed signs of good fellow ship It is but natural that one familiar with the circumstances of the preserving of the balance between Germany, England and America at time when they were on stne verge of open hostilities, would expect to see in the person a stern, reserved, un- approachable gentleman. Justice Cham bers, as most Alabamians know. is any thing but that.
 His personal appearance Is very much the same as when he left this state in 1ss3 to accept the appointment by President Cleveland to go to Samoa and settle the land dispute between the natives and the foreigners. He wears a short-cropped beard, as shown in the accompanying cut made from his latest photograph. He has genial, whole-souled manner that south- erners so much admire. This evening he appeared very much as a model from which Gibson draws pictures to accompany the giris that have made. the artist famous This impression is to a large extent induced py ms democratic attire. He wore a shirt With very broad blue and white stripes. a broad tan belt and suit of linen. Newspaper Men Knd
 His greeting to me was most cordial and ms hrst expression was: You nAvec,as g, men have been so kind to me that I very much dislike the position in not being able to give you the information You seek" With this expression, he paused and gave me look straight in the face out of his deep blue eyes that was so kind and gentle ana seemed to so fully express the spoken sentiment until 1 Was quite contented to ask Tor a general story or tine situation in the famous islands.
 "The islands were in A perfe.,t s+o+o e peace when l left few weeks ago :; s.Id the chief justice. This fact is due to th, Proinpt ana wise action of the commission CTS. Their first public action after organiz- ing was to issue proclamation requiring the natives to disarm. The rebels were hrst to obey, immediately followed by tha government party. Altogether there were surrendered about 1000 rifles, which is supposed to be, within few hundred. all the arms in the island. All previous at- tempts at disarmament had proven faiI- ures, and the success of the commissioners was due chiefly to their unanmity of ac- ton. In fact, the successful results of all thelr work may be attributed to the same cause. All the arms were taken to the Bodger Since these arms were surrender ed there have been small village fights. but there will be no more regular division of the entire people in organized war.
 The Kingship Tral
 The commissioners investigated thor oughly the kingship trial and issued a. proclamation sustaining my decision and pronouncing it both valid and binding. Im mediately thereafter King Maletoa Taner voluntarily resigned his pretention to the throne There was no coercion, nor in fact, any condition connected with his abdication.
 "It is understood that the commissioners will recommend the abolition of the kindly office altogether. l have advocated this myself ever since I have been in the is- lands and I think if it were done the greatest cause of trouble would be re- moved.
 l must be excused from making state ments in respect to the form of govern ment that the commissioners will recom- mend, or, in fact, as to anything that will be recommended by them, as my relation to the commission Is strictly a confidential one. I will say. in general way, however, that they are making the best of the ex- periences of the past and are constructing a. form of government based as far as the conditions will warrant, upon the best features of the old treaty. And if any tr!parite arrangement can be made to