Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

can citizen for an ofrense committed within
| the jurisdiction OF the United States.
| The International Water Boundary Com
mission, organized by the convention of
March 1, 1889, for the adjustment of ques-
| tons affecting the Rio Grende frontier, has
| not yet completed it's labors A further ex-
| tension of its term for one year, until De-
| cember "a, 1885, was effected by conven-
| ton signed December 2, 1898. and ex-
! changed and proclaimed in February last.
An invitation extended to the President
| of Mexico to visit Chicago in October, on
| the occasion of laying the corner stone of
| the United States Government building in
! that city, was cordially accepted by him.
| with the necessary consent of the Mexican
! Congress, but the illness of a member of
| his family prevented his attendance the
| Minister of Foreign Relations, however,
| came as the personal representative of
! President Daz, and in that high character
| was duly honored
| Claims growing out of the seizure of
| American sealing vessels In Boring Sea
| have been under discussion with the Gov
| eminent of Russia for several years, with
| the recent happy result of an agreement to
| submit them to the decision of a single
| arbitration BY this act Russia affords
|
| principle of arbitration which her pleni-
| potentfaries conspcuously favored at The
Hague Disarmament Conference when it
| was advocated by the representatives of
the United States
| A suggestion for permanent exposition
| of our products and manufactures in Rus
| STA, although not yet fully shaped, has been
| so cordially welcomed by the Imperial Gov
| eminent that it may not inaptly take fit
| ting place in whatever legislation the Con
| gress may adopt looking to enlargement
| of our commercial opportunities abroad.
| The Samoan Islands.
| Important events have occurred in the
| Samoan Islands The election, according
| to the laws and customs of Samoa, of a
| successor to the late King, Malietoa Lau-
| pepa developed a contest as to the validity
| of the result, which issue, by the terms of
| the general act, to be decided by the
| Chief Justice. Upon his rendering a judg-
| ment in favor of Malietoa Tanu, the rival
| chief, Mataafa, took up arms. The active
! intervention of American and British war
| ships became imperative to restore order,
| at the cost of sanguinary encounters. In
| this emergency a joint commission Of rep
| resentatives of the United States, Ger
| many and Great Britain was sent to Sa-
| mca to investigate the situation and pro-
| vide temporary remedy. BY its active
| efforts a peaceful solution was reached for
| the time being, the kingship being abolish
| ed and a provisional government estab-
| Iished Recommendations unanimously made
| by the commission for permanent adjust
ment of the Samoan question were taken
| under consideration by the three powers
parties to the General Act. But the more
| h. evident IT he
came that a radical change was necessary
| in the relations of the powers to Samoa.
| The Inconvenience and possible perils of
| the tripartite scheme of supervision and
| control in the Samoan group by powers
| having little interest in common in that
| quarter beyond commercial rivalry had been
| once more emphasized by the recent events.
| The suggested remedy of the Joint Commits
| sion, like the scheme it aimed to replace,
| amounted to what has been styled a tri-
| dominium, being the exercise of the func-
| tons of sovereignty by an unanimous agree
| ment Of three powers. The situation had
| become far more intricate and embarrass-
| ing from every point of view than 1t was
| when my predecessor, IN 1894, summed up
its perplexities and condemned the partici-
| patton in it of the United States.
The arrangement under which Samoa was
| administered had proved impracticable and
| unacceptable to all the powers concerned
| To withdraw from the agreement and aban-
don the islands to Germany and Great Brit
| ain would not be compatible with our in
terests in the archipelago. To relinquish
| our rights in the harbor of Page Page, the
best anchorage in the Pacific, the occu-
pancy Of which had been leased to the
United States in 1873 by the first foreign
treaty ever concluded by Samoa, 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 considered any proposition for the alb
rogation Of the trip1rtite control which did
not confirm US in all our rights and safe
guard all our national interests in the
islands.
Our views commended themselves to the
other powers. A satisfactory arrangement
was concluded between the Governments of
Germany and of England, by virtue of
which England retired from Samoa IN view
of compensations in other directions, and
both powers renounced in favor of the
United States all their rights and claims
over and in respect to that portion of the
group lying to the east of the one hundred
and seventy-first degree of west longitude
embracing the islands of Tutuila, Ofoo,
oIOStilSd anu 4hdiud L transmit to the
Senate. for its constitutional action thereon
a convention, which besides the provisions
above mentioned also guarantees US the
same privileges and conditions in respect to
commerce and commercial vessels in all of
the islands of Samoa as those possessed by
Germany.
Claims have been preferred by white resi-
dents of Samoa on account of injuries al
legged to have been suffered through the
acts of the treaty Governments in putting
down the late disturbances. convention
has been made between the three powers
for the investigation and settlement of
these claims by a neutral arbitrator to
which the attention of the Senate will be
invited.
Free Cuba Must He a Reality.
My Annual Message of last year was nee
essarily devoted in great part to a consid-
Grafton of the Spanish war and of the re
suits it wrought and the conditions 1t inn
posed for the future. I am gratificd to an
nounce that the treaty of peace has restored