The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-12-09
SAMOAN
The Agreement Entered Into IL
Heartily IMd0rned.

Important; events have occurred in the sa-
moan islands: The ELECTION, according to the
to the late King Malietoa Laupepa developed
a contest sas to the validity of the result,
which issue, by the terms Of the general act.
his rendering a judgment in favor of Malietoa
Ianu, the rival chief. Mataafa, took up arms.
ish warships became imperative to restore Or
der, at the cost of sanguinary encounters.
In this emergency a joint commission OF
and Great Britain was sent to Samoa to in
Vestigate the situation and provide a temporary
remedy rem Gss BY its active sal tse efforts a peaceful snd s solu-
ship being abolished and a provisional govern
ment established. Recommendations unani-
mously made by the commission for a perma-
nent adjustment of the Samoan question were
taken under consideration by the three pow
ers parties to the general act. But the more
they were examined the more evident 1t be-
A Radical Change Was Necessary
in the relations of the powers to Samoa. The
Inconvenience and possible perils Of the tri-
partite scheme of supervision and control in
the Samoan graup by powers having little
interest in common in that quarter beyond
phasized by the recent events. The suggested
remedy of the joint commission, like the
has been styled a being the
exercise of the functions Of sovereignty by
situation had become far more intricate and
embarrassing from every point of view than
IT was when my predecessor. in 1894, summed
patton in it of the United States.
The arrangement under which Samoa was
administered had proved impracticable and
unacceptable to all the powers concerned.
To withdraw from the agreement and aban-
don the islands to. Germany ana Great Brit
ain would not be compatible with our inter-
ests In the archipelago. To relinquish our
rights in the harbor Of Page Page. the best
anchorage, in the Pacific. the occupancy of
which had been leased to the United States
in 1878 by the first foreign treaty ever con-
cluded by Samoa, was not to be thought of
the interests of our growing with
the East. We could not have considered any
proposition for the abrogation Of the tri-partite
control which did not confirm us in all our
in the islands.
Our views commended themselves to the other
powers. A satisfactory arrangement was con-
and OF England. by virtue of which England
retired from Samoa in view of compensations
in other directions, and both parties renowned
in favor of the United States all their rights
ton of the group lying to the east of the
one hundred and seventy-frst degree of west
longitude, embracing the islands of Tutuila,
o .a oiesenga and Mauna: transmit to the
a convention which, besides the provisions
above mentioned. also guarantees us the same
privileges and conditions in respect to COM
merce and commercial vessels in all of the
many.
Claims have been preferred by white resi-
aents OF samoa on account of injuries alleged
to have been suffered through the acts Of The
treaty governments in putting down the late
disturbances. A convention has been made
between the three powers for the investiga-
tion and settlement Of these claims by a
neutral arbitrator. to which the attention of
the senate will be invited,