The record-union., 1899-04-01
No New Advices Have Been Re-
eeived at Washington.
Impression That There Is a Missing Cable
From Rear Admiral Kautz.
Considered Almost InconceivabIe
That the Philadelphia's Com
mander Made no Attempt to
Department Relative to the
Recent Outbreak.

Recent Outbreak.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-No new
advices reached the departments to-day
regarding the Samoan situation, and
the impression is gaining ground among
the officials that there is a missing
!cable from Admiral Kautz, via Sydney.
which upon its arrival will clear up the
mystery regarding the brief dispatch
dated Auckland, which was received
yesterday.
In reading the brief cable of yester-
| day, in which Admiral Kautz referred
tc the improvement of the situation
since his telegram "of the 18th, via sgd
ney, n. s. W. it was at first supposed
that the date given, the 18th, was a
mistake, as the only Sydney telegram
received here was dated the 10th. That
telegram probably left Samoa several
days before the meeting of the Consuls
aboard the Philadelphia, and certainly
a week before the actual fighting be-
gan. which, according to the press dis
patches. commenced on the 10TH
1t is considered almost inconceivable
that Rear Admiral Kautz made no at
tempt to communicate with the depart
merit between the time of the sending
of the telegram, dated Sydney, March
10th, and the one received yesterday.
fIcm Auckland, the 29th, which prob
ably left Apia on the 23d. 1t is now
considered to be almost certain that the
AdmiraPs reference to the telegram OF
the 18th. via Sydney, referred to a tele-
gram forwarded from Apia on the 18TH
If this proves to be the case, the te,e-
gram of the 18th, which has not been
received, doubtless contained the de-
tails of the decision of the Consus
aboard the Philadelphia, the subsequent
ultimatum to Mataafa and his follow
eTs, and the account of the three days
bombardment before the dispatch was
sent. In the light of the existence of
such a dispatch the brief cable of yes
Iterday can be intelligently read 1t
would then simply mean that the situ-
alton had improved during the interim
between the 18th and the 23d, all the
preliminary facts presumably being all
ready in the Hands of the department
! here.
The distance from Apia to Sydney is
greater than that from Apia to Auck-
land. According to the information in
the hands cf the Bureau of Navigation,
the time taken by steamers in plying
between the two former points is thir-
| teen days, while steamers make the
distance from Apia to Auckland in ten
days According to the regular sailing
time of steamers between Apia and
Sydney Ghirteen days., if Rear Admiral
kautz had forwarded a telegram on
the 18th, via Sydney, the dispatch would
not have arrived at Sydney until to-day
at the earliest, SO that with this ex-
planation the non-arrival of the missing
dispatch of the 18th via Sydney is sat
isfactorily accounted for. If the steamer.
is on time and the new explanation of
the department proves to be correct,
this dispatch should have arrived to-
day, or certainly within a very few
days, if, as possible, the steamer bear
ing it may have encountered rough
weather on her voyage.
THE TALK OF A MODUS VIyENDI.
WASHINGTON, March 31-A modus
vlvendi for the settlement of the Samoa
troubles has been proposed, and is now
unoer favorable consideration by the
three Governments concerned. 1t con-
templates the creation of a Joint High
Commission, consisting of one member
OF each country, to pass upon the recent
clash of authority and resulting in dis
order. The. proposition, it is under
stood, was put forward by Germany.
and IS the second one submitted for a
settlement of the entire question.
The first proposition was that the
United States and Great Britain Join
with Germany in removing all the Off
cials now serving in Samoa through
whom the trouble had arisen. To this
the United States and Great Britain re-
Piled that, as their representative offi-
Gals were not regarded as having act
ed in the wrong, it could not be con-
ceded that they should be withdrawn
and thus discredited.
Now the new proposition presented is
to leave the whole question to High
Commissioners, one from each Govern
ment the High Commissioners to have
supreme authority in reaching a settle
ment. This would suspend, for the time
being, the authority of the present au-
thorities in Samoa so far as the recent
difficulty was concerned and leaves the
settlement to an entirely new body, free
from prejudice, and with such a stand
ing as to give added weight to its find
ing. 1t would be temporary in charac-
ter, not suspending or varying the Ber-
lin treaty, except for this special pur-
pose, and for that reason would come
under the general designation of a. mo-
dus vivendi. The treaty itself contem-
plates this arrangement, as it provides
in Section l, Article g. that any special
amendment may be adopted by the con-
sent of the three Powers with adher-
ence to Samoa"
Up to the present time no final ae-
ceptance has been given either by the
United States or Great Britain, but in
view of the, acute trouble reported with
in the last few days all parties seem
much inclined to accept this as afford
ing at least some prospect of a solu-
ton. This is borne out by to-day's
cable advices from Berlin referring to
the favorable acceptance in regard to
the latest proposition. The cable gives
no hint of the specific proposition, but it
is, on the lines above laid down.
dler and an experienced coin maker.