The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-07
UNANIMOUS ACTION NECESSARY.
Great Britain Accepts Germany's sa-
moan PrOposItiOn.

BERLIN, April 6.-An agreement has
been reached between the three powers
the United States, Great Britain and Ger
many-on two propositions, namely. the ap-
pointment by each power of a high official
to investigate and regulate the conditions
prevailing at Samoa and the making OF
unanimity necessary in all decisions of
these high officials. The newspapers hail
the result of the negotiations with salts
faction.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-Dr. Solf. who
is to succeed DIR. Raffel as president of the
Municipal Council of Apia, has left Wash
ington for his post. He intends to stop in
Chicago for a day or two. and also at Colo
rado Springs, Col, planning his movements
so as to be able to take the steamer at San
Francisco some time between the 10th and
the 18th of next month. The State Depart
ment has not yet selected it's representative
on the Samoan commission, but the Pres
ident is giving the matter his personal at
tention. Nearly every American who has
had anything to do with Samoa in rep
resentative capacity in recent years has
turned up as an applicant for this place.
But the State Department does not feel dis
posed TO chose from among them, princi-
pally for the reason that il is deemed proper
to name some person who has not been in
volved in any manner in the past difficult
ties on the islands. If there is any real in
tention of securing an amicable ageement
between the three powers interested in
| Samoan affairs 1t is believed that some such
| policy as this Is essential. The Berlin inti-
nation in some of the press dispatches that
Herr Schmidt had been selected as German
commissioner does not meet with credence
haro fO 10 Enn bat xutn 10 ha troc
at Apia. first as vice consul and afterwards
as president of the Municipal Council, Herr
| Schmidt, by his uncompromising champion
| ship of the German interests where they
| confiicted with those of Americans, became
| involved with our consul, Mr. Mulligan, to
| degree which led to the retirement of both
| OF these officials. If it is deemed essential
| that the commissioners should be expert
| enced in Samoan affairs, however, that fact
| will undoubtedly control the selection of an
American representative by the President.
| 1t is possible that there may be misap-
/ prehension regarding the German commits
| sioner owing to the large number of
| Schmidts in the consular service, one report
/ being that it is Herr Schmidt, consul at
| Caracas.
| The German ambassador, DR.. Won Hole-
ben. called at the State Department to-day
| to felicitate Secretary Hay on the satisfac-
| tory adjustment of the Samoan affair Even
| as late as yesterday afternoon the last pos
sibilities of hitch had not disappeared, but
| late in the day official dispatches were re-
| ceived from Berlin stating that, as a result
| of conference between the German, Brit
| ish and American representatives, a settle
1 ment was assured. The main feature of
| this conference was in q determination that
| the high Joint commission would act by
| unanimous vote and not through a majority.
| This is on the theory that the delegates will
be Of high character. that unanimous agree
/ ment will be certain, although there is. of
| course, the possibility Of deadlock The
/ present tendency is not to provide a final
| arbitrator, but to assume that the commits
sion will agree among themselves. This
| eliminates for the present King Oscar of
| Sweden. who has been mentioned for um-
| pire. The German ambassador and MEM
| bers of his staff also made call to-day at
| the British embassy, thus further evidenc-
| ing the agreeable relations which have sud
| denly taken the place of the rather strained
| conditions heretofore prevailing on Samoa