The San Francisco call., 1899-04-15
So the Samoan Commission
Will Proceed to the
Islands.
Won BULOW EXPLAINS
During Interpolation in Reiohstag
the Foreign Minister Pleads
for Amicable Adjustment.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

Special Dispatch to The Call
BERLIN, April 1.-THE Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, Baron Won Bulow, an
nounced in the Reichstag that an
| agreement had been arrived at with
| Great Britain with regard to sending
a commission to Samoa.
! The Interpolation on Samoa was pre-
| sented by DR.. Lehr, an Extremist, and
was replied to by the Minister of For
! eign Affairs, Baron Won Bulow.
There was a slim attendance of mem
bers in the Reichstag to-day, but the gal
! leries were crowded. The United States
! Embassy was represented a the session.
Ihe opening speech of the interpella-
| ton to which the Minister of Foreign Af-
fairs had previously agreed to reply was
| not a success, and it was afterward said
! blundered in intrusting it's presentation
/ to Dr. Lehr The latter, contrary to
! agreement, made strong references to
economic matters in arguing against the
| American and British attitude in Samoa
| limiting that Germany would fight both
countries economically if thwarted pcliti-
! cally. The party leaders one after an
| other, repudiated DR.. Lehr's declarations.
In substance the Interpolation, which
was signed by a majority of the Center,
Re1chs party, Conservatives and National
| Liberals, asked for information regarding
| the events in Samoa and also requested
| information regarding the measures taken
! or to be taken by the Government under
the circumstances
The Foreign Minister in his reply en-
! phasized Germany's adherence to the Sa-
moan act, the Encouragement of which he
! claimed was desirable to the Government
! Continuing the Minister said the Govern
/ ment knew nothing of the conflicts said to
! nave taken place between the American
admiral KautZ. and the commander of
the German warship Fake.
In the course of his remarks the Min
lister said
I am quite. prepared to express my
| views OF an affair which, with Justice is
keenly occupying opinion and has been
for weeks the subject of serious attention
upon the part of the Government On
the other hand, you will understand that
in my official responsible position I shall
not say things that may render a peace~
ful settlement of the difficulties ques-
! tionable.
Regarding the history of the compli-
! cations in Samoa, l have made a state
! ment to the budget committee and have
J particularly pointed out how, since the
coming into force of the act. disturbances
ana frlcuonS between the representatives
of the powers have not been lacking
! Our attitude regarding the complca-
! ton may be summed up in a single SEN
! tence, Adherence to the legal status Gre
| ated by the act so long the act is not
! mod1hed by the unanimous decision of
! the powers That is to say, respect for
| the rights appertatning to others by vir-
tue of the act, but at the same time full
! maintenance of German rights. In the
interests of the tranquility of Samoa and
| in the interest of calmer relations he
| tween the powers should they find it ad-
! Vantageous, if the act has become mad
equate, it could be replaced by a fresh
arrangement, corresponding better with
the present situation. With this idea. I
! said IN the budget committee that we
were disposed to consent to a clean sep
aratOn. AS, however, the disadvantages
of the situation were felt by both the
other powers, equally with ourselves we
have no occasion and no need to makS
special proposals of our own initiative
! But, so long as the Samoa agreement ex-
| lists it must be Loyalty observed by all
concerned. The letter and spirit of the
act require that final decision be only
| effected by the unanimous resolutions Of
| the three governments. 8 We therefore
have allowed no doubt 70 remain in Lon
| don and Washington that we must re-
gard as not legally binding any changes
to which we have not given our assent
We could not permit a decision regard
ing Samoa to be taken contrary to the
treaty rights and without or even against
| US.
This principle of unnecessary unanim-
ity which is set up and defended by US
was accomplished by America and then
also by Great Britain. Another leading
point of view is for US to hold aloof from
! the disputes of the native chiefs We
were confronted by several candidates for
the throne OF Samoa, but we have noc
taken sides. But the provisional govern
| ment of Mataafa having been recognized
| by the three Consuls, it must have an
| peared to our Consul as the legal status
quo until a new government was installed
by the unanimous resolution of the three
| Governments
L
a neutral attitude in regard to the inter
| nal affairs of Samoa we have neither par
| ticipated in nor approved the interVen-
ton of British and American warships
Respecting the recent conflicts we
have only mutilated and defective tele-
grams from our Consul and more or less
| trustworthy reports from foreign tele-
graphic agencies, so that it is not yet
possible for us to pass final judgment
on the affair.
''Notbirer iS LnOvvr, tO Ic nOr-
cerning the reported conflict between the
American admiral and the commander of
! the Fake.
'I agree with the Secretary of the Navy
that the report of such conflict is en-
tirely unfounded, and am convinced that
the conduct. sense. honor tact and self
control of our naval officers were beyond
praise. as was the discipline of the men
Regarding the German subject arrested
in Samoa he was evidently the director
of the plantation at Nailele, near Huff
nagel. We Immediately called the serious
attention of the British Government to
the matter and expressed our confident
expectation that no harm would come
to our cOuntryman it, as we certainly be-
lieved, he is innocent.
'The final settlement cannot be preju-
diced by the events in Samoa. This set
tlement will not take place on the spot
1t can only be the result of an agreement
between the three Cabinets In order to
! bring about such a readjustment we
have proposed to dispatch special COM
mission, have demanded unanimity in it's
decisions and have carried this point af-
ter overcoming considerable difficulties.
| (Cheers.)
II am happy to state that the British
Government has now officially declared to
me, through its ambassador, that it ac-
cepted the proposals of Germany regard
ing the mode of operation and functions
| of the commission, whose functions and
powers may be summed up as follows:
1.-The commission appointed by le three
signatory powers to the Samoa act will
take over the provisional government of
the islands. To this end the commission
will exercise the highest powers. All
other official .personages will have to obey
| the orders of the Commissioners. and the
three powers will instruct their consular
| and naval representatives to lend their
support No measures taken by the
| Commissioners in conformity with the
foregoing official powers will be legal
unless all three Commissioners assent
tnereto' apse 30 +bo +os,,. oe a.. ,--,