Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-01-26


ial dispatches, some for the battleship
Oregon, due at the islands, some that
are supposed to relate to the sending
of the Oregon to Samoa.
The navy department. officials here
are unable to say whether the Oregon
has been ordered out, but it is thought
that it has been.
| Wellington, n. z Jan. 2O.-'Che
British third class cruiser, Tauranga
has started for Samoa.
AT GERMAN FOREIGN OFFICE.
Berlin, Jan. ao-The foreign office
informs the correspondent of the AS.
sociated Pross that the official reports
received from Samoa by the govern.
ment tally with those received by the
Associated Press.
In any event, Germany will not sup
port any possible irregularity inconsis.
tent with the treaty, but the foreign
officials point out it is not olear that
the German consul at Apia has been
guilty o. any irregularities of that ma
ture On the contrary, the foreign
office insists it still remains to be ex-
planned why Mataafa's election was de-
clared invalid, as he was admittedly
elected by an overwhelming majority.
The foreign office ADMITS that Ger
many has long been dissatisfied with
the condOminium which in its nature,
is provisional, though unfortunately.
other powers, especially the Washing
ton government, have thought other
wise.
The foreign Office oili:ials say that
the captain Of the German warship,
Fake, at Apia, does not attach much
importance to the recent incidents, and
hence the government does not intend
to send additional warships to Samoa
unless other powers do.
Washington Jan. 2o.-The state de-
partment is moving with due delibera-
ton, yet with iirmness, respecting the
adjustment Of conditions i'm Samoa,
and is directing all of its Efforts to the
Iae OF lawful and regular means to
settle the succession at Apia. In fact
it was its insistence upon the compli.
anco of all the partie to the tripartite
treaty with the terms of that document
SO long as it stood undenounced and
unamended that has made its positian
so strong legally at this juncture.
INFLUENCES USED ON CHAMBERS.
There is still lack of official reports
upon the details of the stirring events
at Apia.
A brief statement of these events
has reached the department through
the United States dispatch agent at
San FRANCISCO, but SD lar as can be
gathered it is not yet known just why
Chief Justice Chambers decided that
Mataafa, the German candidate for the
succession to the throne of Samoa, was
ineligible. 1t is suspected here that
the decision was based on the use of
the improper influences by outsidespar-
ties interested in the election of a
king. That established would be snf-
licient to disqualify Mataafa under the
strict terms of the treaty, which ex
pressly provides for an untrammelled
choice by the natives according to their
own established customs.
The United States government must
adhere to the terms of the treaty SO
long as it stands. this being duty i'm
posed upon the government by the
document itself, so it is to be presumed
in the absence of an official statement
that the instructions sent to the United
States consul general at Apia, and
perhaps also to Ambassador White at
Berlin, are to be governed by this un.
derstanding in any presentation of the
case that it may be necessary to make.
CRUISER CLEAR IN FIVE DAYS.
The Navy departments orders to the
Philadelphia did not 60 to Admiral
hautz until today. Then they were in
the shape of instructions to take on q
full supply of coal and make ready fol
cruise to Samoa. There was not an
explicit order to start but simply t.
make ready. If the admiral, as re
ported in the press dispatches, finds
that his ships bottom is so foul through
its cruise in the southern waters as tc
be unfit for the voyage to Samoa, he
probably will be authorized to use
divers to clean the hull, for.the depart
ment has decided that the ship should
not be sent to the Mare Island navy
yard to be fitted out. !; i. ~; :.
There will be about five days availa
bic in all probability before the Phil
adelphia can clear. The department
will be able to order Chief Enginee
Bates from the Texas to take the plac
of Engineer McAllister Of the Phila
delphia. Engineer Bates was ordere,
to leave Havana last night for New
Orleans, wbenche he will proceed b.
lratl to San Diego.