The record-union., 1899-01-21
Respecting the Adjustment Of Conditions in
the Islands.
Is Directing All It's Efforts to the
Use Of Lawful and Regular
Means to Settle the Succession
at Apia-This Government Will
Strictly Adhere to the Berlin
Treaty So Long an It Stands.

department IS moving WITH uue uellD-
Grafton, yet with firmness, respecting
the adjustment of conditions in Samoa,
and is directing all of its efforts to the
use of lawful and regular means to set
tie the succession at Apia- In fact, it
was its insistence upon the compliance
of all the parties to the tripartite treaty
with the terms of that document, so
long as it stood undenounced and was
unamended. that has made its position
SO strong legally at this juncture.
There is still a 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 SO far as
can be gathered it is not yet known
just why Chief Justice Chambers de-
cided that Mataafa, the Garman can
didate for the succession to the throne
of Samoa, was ineligible. 1t, is sus-
pected here that the decision was based
on the use of improper influences by
outside but interested parties in the
election Of the King. That, it is be-
lieved, would be sufficient to disqualify
Mataafa under the strict terms of the
IL Cdty, WHICH CAPIcSSly pIOVlutS lOI du
untrammeled choice by the natives, ac-
cording to their own established Gus
toms.
The United States Government must
adhere to the terms of the treaty so
long as it stands this being a duty i'm
posed upon the Government by the doc
ument 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 Apta, and
perhaps also to ambassador White at
Berlin, are to be governed by this un-
derstanding in any presentation of the
case THAT 1t may be necessary to make.
The Navy Departments orders to the
Philadelphia did not go out to Admiral
Kautz until to-day. Then they were
in the shape of instructions to take on
full supply of coal and make ready
for cruise to Samoa. There was not
an explicit order to start, but simply
to make ready. If the Admiral, as re-
ported in the press dispatches, finds
that his ships bottom is so foul through
her cruise in the southern waters as to
be unfit for the voyage to Samoa, he
probably will be authorized to use div
ets to clean the hull, for the depart
nlent has decided that the ship should
not be sent to the Mare Island navy
yard to be fitted out
There will be about five days avail
able, in all probability, before the Phil
adelphia can clear, and the department
will be able to order Chief Engineer
Bates from the Texas to take the place
Of Engineer McNalliston of the Phila-
1a1v D-k >
to leave Havana last night for New
Orleans, whence he will proceed by rail
to San Diego.
GERMANY DISSATISFIED WITH
THE TREATY.
BERLIN, Jan. 2O.-The Foreign Of
flee informs the correspondent OF the
Associated Press that the official re-
ports from Samoa by the Government
tally with those received by the Asso-
ciated Press. In any event, Germany
will not support any possible irregu-
larity inconsistent with the treaty. but
the Foreign Office officials point out
that it is not yet clear that the Ger
man Consul at Apia has been guilty of
any irregularities of that nature. On
the contrary, the Foreign Office insists
that it still remains to be explained why
Mataafa's election was declared invalid,
as he was admittedly elected by an
overwhelming majority.
The Foreign Office officials say that the
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 ojcials say that the
Captain of the German warship Fake
at Apia docs not attach much import
ance to the recent incidents; and, hence,
additional warships to Samoa, unless
the Government does not intend to send
the other Powers do.'