The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-06


commercial opportunities abroad.
The Story of Samoa.
Important events have occurred in
the Samoan Islands The election. ac-
curding to the laws and customs of
Samoa, of a successor to the late king,
Malietoa Laupepa, developed a contest
I as to the validity of the result, which
| issue. by the terms of the general act,
was to be decided by the chief justice.
Upon his rendering a judgment in
| favor of Malietoa Tanu, the rival chief,
Mataafa, took up arms. The active in
| terVentOn of American and British
warships became imperative to restore
| order at the cost of sanguinary en-
counters. In this emergency, a joint
commission of representatives of the
| United States, Germany and Great
! Britain was sent to Samoa TO investi-
gate the situation and provide a tenn
| porary remedy. By its active efforts
| peaceful solution was reached for the
| time being, the kingship being abol-
| ished and Il provisional government es-
| tablished. Recommendations unani-
mously made by the commission for
permanent adjustment of the Samoan
question were taken under considera-
| tion by the three powers parties to the
| general act.
| But the more they were examined the
| more evident ii became that a radical
| change was necessary in the relations
| of the powers 70 Samoa.
! The inConvenienCes and possible per-
| lis of the tri-Dartite scheme of super
| vision and control i'm the Samoan group
| by powers having little interest in
| common in that quarter beyond com
| mercial rivalry had been once more
| emphasized by recent events. The
suggested remedy OF the joint commits
sion. like the scheme it aimed to re-
! place, amounted to what has been
STYLED "tridominium," being the eXer-
| else of the functions of sovereignty by
| an unanimous agreement of three pow
| erS. The situation had become far
| more intricate and embarrassing from
| every point Of view than it was when
| my predecessor, in 1894, summed IN its
| DerpleXities and condemned the par
/ tiCipatiOn i'm il of the United States.
The arrangement under which Sa-
moa was administered had proved i'm
! practicable and unacceptable to all the
| powers concerned. To Withdraw from
the agreement and abandon the islands
to Germany and Great Britain would
not be compatible with our inter hSlG in
the archipelago. TO relinqush our
| rights i'm the harbor of Pagn Cago, the
best anchorage in the Pacific. the oc-
cupancY of which had been leased to
! the United States in 1879 by the first
| foreign treaty ever concluded by Sa-
| mOa, was not to be thought Of either
as regards the needs of our navy or the
interests of our growing commerce with
| the east. We could not have consid
cred any proposition for the abrogation
of the tri-partitite control which did
/ not confirm us in all our rights and
safeguard all our national interests in
the islands.
our views commended themselves n
the other powers. A satisfactory ar
governments of Germany and of Eng
land by virtue of which England re-
tired from Samoa in view of comDen-
satiOns in other directions. and both
powers renounced in favor of the
United States all their rights and
claims over and in respect to that por-
ton of the group living to the east of
the one seventy-frst degree of west
longitude, embracing the islands of
Tutuila. OfoO Olosenga and Manua
/ | transmit to the senate, for it's con-
stitutiOnal action thereon. convention,
which besides the provisions above
mentioned also guarantees us the same
privileges and conditions i'm respect tc
| commerce and commercial vessels in
all of the islands of Samoa as those
possessed by GERMANY
Claims have been preferred by white
residents of Samoa on account of in
iuries alleged to have been suffered
through the acts of the treaty govern
ments in putting down the late dis
! turbanceS
\ convention has been made between
the three powers for the investigation
! and settlement of these claims hy n
neutral arbitrator to which the attan-
tion of the senate will be invited.
Cuba.
My annual message of last year was
necessarily devoted in great part to 3
consideration of the Spanish war anC
| of the results IL wrought and the con.
ditiOns it imposed for the future. an
sratited to announce that the treaty
of peace has restored friendly reIa,
tions between the two powers Effect
has been given To its most IMPORTANT
provisions. The evacuation of Porto
Rico having already been accomplishnf
on the 18th of October, 1898, nothinf
remained necessary there but TO CON
tinue the provisional military contro
of the island until the congress should
enact a suitable government for tn,
Ccded tern itOry. OF the character ant
scope of the measures to that end.
shall treat in another part of this mes
sage
The withdrawal of the authority Of
spain from the island Of Cuba WAS
effected by the first of January, SC
that the fun establishment of peace
ID
the United States in trust for the i'm
habitants, maintaining under tha al,
, rectiOn Of the executive such govern,
ment and control therein as SHOULD
conserve public order, restore the pro
| ductiVe conditions of peace SO Ion.
. disturbed by the instability and dis
order which prevailed for the greater
. part Of the preceding three decades
, and build up that tranquil develop
, ! ment of the domestic state whereof,
, alone can be realized the high nun
pose, as proclaimed in the joint reso
. ! luton adopted by the congress on Ap
, , ril 10, 1895 by which the United State!
disclaimed any disposition OF intention
2 to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction o.
: | control over Cuba, except for the pa
: clhcation thereof, and asserted its de
, termination when that was accom-
. | pltshed, to leave the government anC
? control of the island to its people Th
. pledge contained in this resolution Il
, ! of the highest honorable obligation
! and must be sacredly kept.
I believe that substantial progress
has been made in this direction. Al
the administrative measures adopte,
in Cuba have aimed to fit il for a re
| generated existence by enforcing tn
y supremacy of law and Justice; by plac
. ing wherever practicable the maChin
I cry Of administration in the hands o
= the inhabitants; by instituting needer
: sanitary reforms; by spreading educa
O ton by fostering industry and trade
. by incucating public morality and, Il
+ short, by taking every rational ste
10 aid the Cuban people 10 attain L
4 that plane of self conscious reSpac
o and self reliant unity which fits a
IA enlightend community for self gov
n ernment within its own sphere, Will
Il enabling IL 10 ulfll all outward obll
Q cations.