Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-06-23
SAMOAN SETTLEMENT.
Commission Sustains the Decision of
Chief Justice Chambers.
AN END TO THE KINGSHIP.
Malietoa Tanu Resigns, and Pro-
visiOnal Government Is Now Con-
Quoting the Affairs of the
Troubled Island.

Washington, June 2S.-Secretary Hay
has issued the following formal state
ment in regard to the latest developments
In the Samoan situation:
1.-THE secretary of state has received a
dispatch from the Hon. Bartlett Trip,
| United States commissioner at Samoa,
saying that peace had been restored in
the islands; that the commission had
sustained the decision Of Chief Justice
| Chambers in the contested case Of the
election Of king; that Malietoa Tanu
had resigned; that the kingship was to
be abolished and provisional govern
ment established"
Secretary Hay said that this was the
substance of all the information received
by the department in regard to the
changed conditions In Samoa. The de-
partment officers credit the press dis
patches and believe that these reports
supply correct details Of the temporary
settlement in Samoa which are not con-
tanned in the rather brief dispatch re-
ceived by Secretary Hay.
The temporary government, 1t is un-
derstood, will be administered by the
consuls of the three powers-the United
States Great Britain and Germany. In
speaking of the work of the commission
ers Of the three powers in Samoa Secre-
tary Hay expressed the greatest satisfac-
ton with the terms of settlement. He
predicts that the temporary arrangement
made marks the beginning Of the end of
the disturbances in the islands.
1t is presumed that no further official
information of an important nature will
be received from Commissioner Trip
until his arrival in this country. The
German and British commissioners will
send reports to their governments. OF
course, and some details of the favorable
settlement at Apia will be known within
a few hours.
German Indemnity Claims.
In connection with the statement by
Baron Won Bulow to the reichstag as to
indemnity claims of Gern2ny for losses
In Samoa the June issue Of the Prussian
Annual, just received in official circles
here, contains a discussion of how far it
is possible to assert claims for losses suf-
fered by German trade and capital in
consequence of the warlike events of the
last year in the West Indies, the Philip
pines and Samoa.
distinction is made between such
losses as were brought about directly by
the war and such as were the indirect re-
suit Of the conditions of war, as, for in.
stance, the ruin or long storage of goods
in consequence of the impossibility OF
shipping them by reason of the blockade,
increased insurance premiums. double
freights, increased expenditure for the
suspension Of business as we'll as losses
of interest. The report continues:
"The compensation for the mere indi'
rect damage will be, according to the rul
ing principles of international law, mat.
ter of the greatest difficulty, yet it is evil
dent that the Germans will have to be
considered at least to the same extent as
81, .ects of other neutral nations. AS re
CARDS the losses caused directly by the
war. the subjects of neutral states living
within the boundary of a state engaged
in war have no claim to a privileged treat.
ment, the belligerent parties considering
that they belong to the population of the
country and that they share its fate.
AS regards the compensation for the
damage done to Germans in Samoa, |
state of war has existed, contrary to the
clear provision of the Samoan act, be-
tween the Anglo-American troops and
the ma jolity of the inhabitants of Sa.
moa. during which those troops have VIC.
lated a custom recognized by internation-
al law by not notifying the Germans on
March Is Of the impending lombard.
ment of Apia. Here a sense Of fairness
certainly ought to demand compensation
to the Germans for losses occasioned by
England and America"
The author comes finally to the concu-
sion that governments must assert only
such claims as are we'll founded and for
which the obligation for compensation is
clearly established by international law.