Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-12
Commission Will Hasten Its
Preparations.
1T MAY SAIL NEXT WEEK
The Three Governments Are Very Near
to Complete Acc0rd--Admiral
KautZ'S Acts.

washington, April 11.-As q result OF
conferences held today at the state de-
partment and at the British embassies,
efforts will be made to have the Samoan
high commission make a quick trip across
the country, reaching San Francisco in
time to catch the boat leaving for Samoa
one week from tomorrow. This is re-
garded as a distinctly favorable turn in
the negotiations and as indicating that
the three governments are very near to
complete accord on all the points of the
commission. 1t does away, also, with the
reports that Germany was withholding
the appointment of her commissioner,
and makes it practically certain that
Baron Specll Won Sternberg, first secre-
taly of the German embassy, will be the
German high commissioner.
The new turn in affairs resulted from
conferences held by the German ambas-
sador, DR.. Won Holeben, first with Sec
rotary Hay at the state department and
then al the British embassy with Sir
Julian Pauncefote and MIR. Elliott, the
British commissioner.
DR.. VOn Holeben'S announcements were
particularly satisfactory to the Ameri-
can and British authorities, coming after
the unofficial cables from London ard
Berlin indicating that a serious hitch
might occur. The ambassador made
known the wish of the German govern
ment that the commission should cave
at once, catching the boat from San
Francisco next week. He gave assurance
that Germany would cooperate to that
end by naming her commissioner, al
though he did not officially announce
that Baron Von %Sternberg was to be the
man.
Attention was next turned to getting
out the joint instructions and hurrying
the commissioners on their way. If it
becomes Impossible to catch the boat az
engagements may be made for q special
steamer from Honolulu, and there is even
a chance that the United States may as
sign a naval vessel to carry the high
commission to Samoa. In an authori-
t2tlVe quarter it was stated today that
reports of a German protest against Ad-
miral Kautz's course in reference to the
treatment of the cruiser Fake were un-
warranted. All the negotiations, it is
said in the highest German quarters, are
of such a character as to bring the gov
ernments more closely together instead
of separating them.
AS 1t has been strongly intimated in
the Berlin dispatches that the German
government was about to make a de-
mand for a disavoWal Of Admiral Kautz.s
actions, it may he stated that our gov
erllnlenf Will certainly not acctde to any
such request in advance of a full knowl-
edge. of all the facts in the case. and a
conviction that the admiral acted wrong
lN, the presumption always being that
our officers have acted with due proDriety
until the contrary is shown to be the
case.
If Admiral Kautz found Mataafa, the
self-constituted king, with his 13 chiefs,
dominating the affairs Of the island, in
Volving the suspension of the functions
of the supreme court and of the munich
pal council, formally and duly estab-
lished by treaty, then it was his duty,
according to the state department, to
bring the conditions at once to conform
ity with the treaty. If this involved the
dissolution of the provisional govern
ment there can be no legal complaint. it
is said, by any one of the three powers,
who have bound themselves to carry out
and MAINTAIN the treaty of Berlin.
Some surprise is expressed by the de-
part1nent officials that this misconceT-
ton in Germany of the terms of Admira
Kautz's proclamation, and it is pointed
out that, according to the terms of the
proclamation as printed here, Admiral
kautz did not say that AL three con
suls had expressed a Willingness to annu
the provisional government but that a
meeting of the consuls had been called
and a decision had been reached to annu]
the provisional arrangement.