The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-04-26
DR.. SOU ENROUIE 70 AP|A
NEW PRESIDENT OF THE APIA
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.
Samoan Commission to Leave San
Francisco April 25th, by the Naval
Transport Badger-Their Instructions

DR.. w II. Solf, the new president of
the Apia municipal council, under the
Berlin treaty, is a passenger on the
Mariposa, going to his post of duty.
DR.. Solf is a fine looking man, young
in years. and with Cordiality of man
ner and a frank open way of talking
that is a good augury of the restora-
tion of pleasant personal relations be-
tween the representatives of the three
treaty powers in Samoa. He speaks
enthusiastically of his brief stay in
America and his trip across the conti-
nent In Washington he was present
ed to President Mckinley.
Before he was appointed to his pres
ent position he was a judge in the
German colony of East Africa at
place called Dar-es-Salam. AS SOU
venir of his residence there he has a
young African in red fez as valet.
Previous to his services in East Af
riCa he was a consular representative
of his government at Calcutta, and
was later an attache of the German CO.
lOnal Office in Berlin.
OF the trouble in Apia he would not
! speak saying he had no official infOr-
| nation as late as the newspapers gave.
! OF the Samoan commission he said
| that Baron Sternberg was a military
officer who had entered the diplomatic
| service as a military attache and was
|
! embassy at Washington Mr.. Elliot,
the British representative, was first
secretary of the British embassy at
| Washington. The American represen-
tative is Hon. Bartlett Tripp, formerly
United States minister to Austria.
The commissioners were to sail APP
ril 25th. by the United States trans
| port Badger. formerly the Ward line
| steamer Yumurri. The Badger is a
! 16 knot, 4,7S4 tons steel steamer, which
arrived in San Francisco April 18th.
DR.. Solf is being entertained during
his stay here by the Imperial German
! Consul ]. F. Hackfeld.
INSTRUCTIONS.
WASHINGTON, April 1S.-The IN
structions to the Samoan commission.
! ers have been completed. They are
alike in all essential respects. They
were summed up today by one of the
commissioners substantially as fol
| lows:
The commission is given complete
authority to carry on a provisions
government in Samoa. In doing thi!
the instructions carefully prescribe tn,
preservation of order and the securit!
of life and property as a first requis
lite. 1t is provided that the duties of al
of those heretofore exercising puthori
ty in Samoa, either in the treaty o
the governments, shall be suspended
in order that the high commissioner!
shall have complete authority over tn,
islands.
The commission is required to max,
a report upon a variety of things, in
Guiding the recent collisions and the
causes leading up to them, the admin
istration of the islands, the rights o
the several claimants to the kingshir
and also as to what changes are desir
able in the methods provided by tn
treaty of Berlin.
The instructions call for unannit,
in all action. The action of the com
mission when unanimous is to be con
elusive without referendum, eXcep
it suspends a provision of the treat
of Berlin. In that case also a provi
sion of the treaty of Berlin may b
suspended by unanimous consent 0
T. the members, but the suspension is a
referendum and is not binding unit
the three governments approve Dr dis
approve. The instructions are hroa
enough to include the recent trouble
so that these acute phases as we'll a
the general government of Samoa wi
. be adjusted.
LONDON, April 19.-The Berlin cor
respondent of the Standard says: Th
proposal to partition the Samoan Is
lands, said to have been revived i
the United States, will be accepted b
Germany only if no other solution
possible.