The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-11
A BARREN ACQUISITION
SPANS TRADE RIGHTS GERMA-
NY MUST DEFEND.
PHILIPPINES WERE OFFERED GERMANY
At the Beginning of The Spauist-Amercan War
No offer of Recent Date TO Grant
America Cable Sta ion
in CaroIines,

Copyright, 1899, by Associated Press.)
Berlin. June 1O.-The cession of the
South Sea Islands to Germany focused
attention during the week. n curious
feature was that while on receipt of the
news the press as well as everybody
at first expressed satisfaction, this
changed radically as the week advanced
and the terms of the bargain became
known. Not only did the radical and
socialist rress severely criticiSe the
terms as eXorbitant and far beyond the
value of the islands, but a large p0r-
ton of the press, rejecting the views
OF other parties. did the same. Ac-
cording to the latest official statistics,
German trade in the islands for sevc-
raj years has not exceeded 200 marks
yearly and no Germans exports have
been sold there for some time.
After listening to the statements of
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baron
Won Buelow, in the Reichstag, the criti-
cism BECAME severe.
The Frankfort Zeitung says:
The text of the agreement shows
the Spanards retain all the advantages
of ownership, retain full liberty for the
clerical orders, have ii cOaling station
in each group of the islands and are
put, commercially, on the same footing
as the Germans, while Spain merely
cedes to Germany the onus of the costs
of the administration and receives an
eXorbitant price, which probably nc
other power would have paid"
fH,.i. I'll urlS
empowered to speak for the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Baron Won Buelow,
said to the correspondent here of the
Associated Press that he fully expects
to see the Reichstag pass the appropria-
tiOn of the purchase money by large
majority, adding that the FreiSinnigeS
and Socialists will be the only parties
to vote against it, though the centre
might make it's approval conditional.
The bill for the appropriation will
provide for the administration of the
new possessions and it is said the tariff
understanding with SPAIN is only of Il
general nature, Germany and Spain adj
uniting each other among the favored
nation clauses.
The news in the Morning Post and
other London papers to the effect that
Germany offered the United States a
cable station in the C@s54lne Islands
confirms what the Associated Press cor
respondent cabled some time ago. but
no such offer has been renewed re-
Gently. 1t is fact we'll known to the
German and American Governments
that Spain at the beginning of the war,
offered to sell to Germany all her pos
sessions in the Far East. including the
Philippine Islands. Germany then re-
piled substantially that she could not
accept the offer as Spain no longer had
the islands to give away, but adding that
Germany would agree to take all Spain $
possessions in the South Sea, which the
United States left her, off her hands.
This conditional bargain was made dur
ing the carly stages of the war and
was renewed in the autumn at the
end of hostihties. lit has now been
ratified. The offer to exchange cable
stations will probably be renewed as
soon as Germany's title to the Caroline
Islands is perfected
The Foreign Office officials confirm
the correspondence to the Associated
Press of the release of Herr Marquardt
and Herr Hofnagel, the Germans at
Apia, Samoa. who were arrested in
connection with the disturbances there.
a the official reports from Aria
lately are to the effect that things are
assuming a promising aspect and it is
confidently expected here that the com
missioners will arrive ait Il satisfactory
settlement.