The age-herald., 1899-08-20
CHIEF JUSTICE VIM. L. CHAMBERS OF
 SAMOAN ISLANDS IS IN MONTGOMERY
(continued From Page 1.)

the commissioners will accomplish that end.
 "As far as the conduct of Rose, the German consul, is concerned, I must ask
 to be excused from answering. l cannot
 do so with propriety.
 "The death of Lansdale and Monahan
 was a very sad affair. l have some very
 strong convictions on the subject of the
 killing and beheding of these brave off,
 cers. I cannot give utterance to them
 now, however, as they are to be made a
 subject of special report I intend to sub
 init to the proper authorities"
 Unpronounceable Names
 The chief justice tells about many things
 with unpronounceable names, which he was
 familiar with in the land, and unless you
 attempt their pronunciation yourself they
 are real interesting. He was asked about
 the creation of a king, and explained the
 matter so that it was easy to comprehend.
 There was but little complication in the
 stirring incidents in which he participated,
 if one did not attempt to follow the raTn-
 fications into which the thing spread. He
 figured In the matters because the treaty
 between the three nations provides that
 in case the natives cannot determine on a
 king, the matter shall be taken into the
 supreme court and there decided. This
 was the very thing that happened. The
 reigning king died. Two parties sprang
 up. each of which had a king of its own,
 and each of which declared that he was
 endowed with all the requisite kingly pow CTS. That might have been all very well. but the islands are too limited in size to support two monarchs even of the simple tastes of the Samoans, and there was ex-
 cellent chance for open warfare The mat
 ter was taken to the court of the chief jus
 tice, and he was eleven days belabored
 with the vexing problem.
 .ha fret yjS which IustiOa Chambers
 made to Samoa was in October. 1893, and
 he returned to the United States in the
 fall of the same year. He went as chief
 justice in May, 1s97 and this is his first
 visit home since that time It will be re-
 called that recently the three countries in-
 terested appointed a commission, whose
 object was to examine into the conditions
 existing in the islands and determine
 what was the best form of government for
 them and what other reformatory meas
 ures should be adopted relative to the islands. After the commission reached the islands 1t was alleged that there were sev- eral unpleasant incidents, which caused the commission to call for the resignation of the chief justice. With these reports came the statement that the call for the resignation was prompted by deInad from the German member of the commission. The chief justice was asked relative to this l matter this morning, and said without hes ita tion:
 Statements Are Untrue
 "There is absolutely no truth In these statements, and they must have originated in the brain of some enterprisng corre- spondents. I can assure you that my re- lations with every member of the commits sion were most cordial With none were l they pleasanter than with the German member. Soon after the arrival of the commission asked that I be allowed to re- turn to the state. I was entitled to spend | two months vacation in the states every year. and had been there two years with out a vacation. I was, therefore, entitled to four months vaca tion. As soon as the commissioners arrived asked that be all lowed to leave on the next steamer, but
 was told that the members of the commis- sion would like to consult with me relative to recommendations as to the courts of the island. I remained and was in constant consultation with the members of the com mission. My relations with them were most friendly, and I will meet with them l in Washington on my reaching the capi- tai.''
 An Unusual Career
 The career of Justice Chambers is truly a most unusual one. which has forcibly dem- | onstrated the possibilities for a truly capa- l ble man under our form of government. l Although his position, in measure, has been a political one he can attribute 1t more directly to the good judgment with which he has been endowed, and an Ameri- cans way of taking advantage of circum- stances. He began his caeer in Montgom- | cry as an attorney, with the law firm of Clopton x Herbert in 1870. The former was l afterwards chief justice of the Alabama supreme court, and the latter secretary of the navy. In 1873 Justice Chambers mar ried the daughter of Judge Clopton. He | was later president of the First National | bank here, and subsequently, went to Shef- | field to accept the position of president I and general manager of the Sheffield Land l company. as | After the three great nations. England, | the United States and Germany, took upon l themselves the task of governing the Sa- l moan islands and making and unmaking 1 kings and other things for the islanders, | Justice Chambers was selected one of the | commissioners to adjust some land disputes between the natives and foreigners. It was | but natural to suppose that in anything | which involved the pocketbooks of the peo- | pie of the different nations the members of | this land commission would be principally | successful in making the men Of all na- ! tions their enemies. Whatever may be | said of the other commissioners this was
 not true of MT. Chambers. He succeeded 1 in establishing himself in the good graces | of all concerned and when the time came | for the selection of a chief justice of the | islands under the provisions of the treaty, l America did not have to make much of a ! struggle to get the appointment.