The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-01
A JOINT COMMISSION
Will Settle the Controversy Over
the Samoan Affair. s.1
PROPOSAL CANE FROM GERMANY

| And the United States and Great Britt
ain VIII PromptlyARree-Ki Oscar
to Act as Arbitrator In Case OF Fall
ure to Agree.
Washington, April IA joint high
commission to settle the entire Samoan
trouble has been practically agreed upon
by the United States. Great Britain
and Germany. Lord Salisbury's absence
from London alone delays the formal
acceptance by Grenat Britain, though
in his absence Sir Thomas Sanderson
and Mr.. Villiers, who are understood to
be specially familiar with the Samoan
question, have approved the plan for II
commission. The United States has in
formally expressed its approval, and the
formal acceptance, it is learned from the
highest quarter, will follow speedily.
As the proposition emanates with Ger
many, her approval of course is assured.
This high joint commission, 1t Is felt,
affords pacific solution to the whole
trouble at the moment when Samoan
affairs began to look the most threaten
ing
The new plan has been fully gone
over by Secretary Hay and the Brit
ish and German ambassadors here, and
its essential details worked out. Each
nation is to be represented by one mem
Der on the commission. 1t is to have
practically Unlimited authority, without
the necessity of referring its decisions
back to the several governments for ap-
proval. 1t is felt that by comforting
such complete and final authority on the
high commission the danger will be OBJ
waited Of any further deadlocks and
delays.
Still another important provision un-
der consideration is that King Oscar of
Norway and Sweden shall be the umpire
in case the three high commissioners
should fail to reach determination.
The plan of inviting King Oscar to ref
cree disagreement meets the approval
of the British and German authorities
and doubtless will be approved also by
the United States as means of en-
surfing tinality of decision, though it is
not known just how far this has been
considered by The Washington authori-
ties King Oscar was agreed upon be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain as a final arbitrator in connec.
ton with the proposed Anglo-American
arbitration treaty, as well as in the
Venezuela matter. He is also NEIL
toned in the treaty of Berlin as the
one to name a chief justice of Samoa
in case the three signatory powers fail
to agree upon a chief justice. 1t was
this that led to the suggestion of his
namc at the present time to act as final |
arbitrator
The expectation is that the sittings # |
the commission will be in Samoa, where
for the time being they will have COM
plete authority over the whole range Of
Samoan affairs SO far as the high COM
mission may think fit to act in order to |
fully restore order and establish af-
fairs on a stable basis. 1t will require
no treaty to bring the commission into
existence, as the acceptances of the
United States and Great Britain will
the agreement.
1t is understood that the men selected
for the mission will be of high standing,
so as to give added weight and dignity
TO their findings, such, for instance, as
the consul general of Germany, whose
covers the whole range of Pa
niic affairs, He is a man of complete
Oh Samoan and other Pa
,idc Island subjects, as well as man
of political influence. The United
States and British commissioners, it is
will be drawn from the same
nigh rank. with view, however, ID
heir information on international mat
ers of this character rather than their
political standing
As showing that the acute phase of
he Samoan question Is past Baron
speck Won SternberG, first secretary of
germany, left here last night for New
York, whence he sails on the 9th for
london and Berlin. He has been a most
icllve faci"f throughout the Samoan
controversy, having made that question
political study, and thus being able
o render the ambassador material as
istance. His influence at all times has
ccn toward maintaining the friendly re-
.tinns between the two countries, and
rHrcoming the causes of irritation. His
rip to London and Berlin has no signif-
wn"e VIII tever in connection with Sa-
loan affairs, but is entirely personal,
fter the gravity of the affair had ma ssai |