Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-01
The SAMOAN
QUESTION
Will Probably be Settled in an
Amicable Manner.
KING OSCAR OF SWEDEN
Agreed Upon as Referee if the Joint
Commission Fails to Reach
an Understanding;
KING OSCAR OF SWEDEN

Washington, March GA joint high
commission to settle the entire Samoan
trouble has been practically agreed upon
by the United States, British and Ger
man governments. Lord Salisbury's alb
sence from London alone delays the for
nal acceptance by Great Britain,
! though in his absence Sir Thomas San
derson and Mr.. Villiers who are under
stood to be specially familiar with the
, Samoan question. have approved the
plan for a commission. The United
States has informally expressed its APP
prevail and the formal acceptance, 1t is
learned from the best quarter Will
speedily follow.
As the proposition emanates with
Germany her approval of the course is
assured. This high commission, 1t is
! felt. affords a pacific solution to the
| whole trouble at the m when Sa-
moan affairs began to look the most
| threatening. The new plan has been
! gone over by Secretary Hay and the
| British and German ambassadors here
| and it's essential details worked out.
Each nation is to be represented by one
| member of the commission. 1t is TO nave
practically unlimited authority. without
the necessity of referring It's decisions
back to the several governments for APP
prevail. 1t is said the danger will be OBJ
waited of any further deadlocks and de-
Law. Still another important provision
under consideration is that King oscar
of Norway and Sweden shall be the UNI
pire in case the three high commissioners
should fail to reach a determination. The
plan of inviting King Oscar to referee a
disagreement meets the approval of the
British and German authorities and
doubtless will be approved also by the
United States as a means OF ensurlnS II
nality OF action.
Kin Oscar was agreed upon betWeen
the United States and Great Britain as
a final arbitrator in connection with the
proposed A~nglo-SaXon arbitration treaty,
as we'll as in the Venezuelan matter. He
is also mentioned in a treaty of Berlin as
the one to nam a chief justice of Samoa
in case the three signatOry powers fail
to agree on a chief justice. 1t was this
that led to the suggestionof his name al
the present time to act as final arbitrator
The expectation is that the sittings Of the
commission will be in Samoa, where, fOl
the time being. they will have complete
authority over the whole range of Sa.
moan affairs, in order to restore order
and establish affairs on a stable basis.
1t will require no treaty to bring the
commission into existence, as the accept,
ance of the United States and Great Brit.
ain will complete the agreement. 1t is
understood that the men selected for the
} mission will be of high standing. so as t.
give added weight and dignity to theil
findings, such for instance as the consul
general of Germany, whose jurisdiction
covers the whole range of Pacific affairs
He is a, man Of complete information or
; Samoan and other Pacific islands sub,
jects, as we'll as a man of political infu
ence. The United States and British com
m~issioners. it is believed, will be drawn
, from the same high ranks with a view
! however, to their information on interna'
!, tional matters of this character rather
! than their political standing.
AS showing that the acute situation o
the Samoan affair is past, Baron Specl
Won ~Sternberg, first secretary of the Ger
man embassy, left here tonight for New
York, whence he sails on the sixth 70
London and Berlin. He has been a mos
active factor throughout the Samoan
controversy, having made that question
special study and thus being able to rem
der the ambassador material assistance
His influence at all times has been to
ward maintaining he friendly relation
between the two countries and overcom
ing the causes of irritation. His trip t.
London and Berlin has no Significant
whatever in connection with Samoan af
/, fairs, but is on personal affairs.