The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-05

a convention signed December ?. 1893. and
last.
of Mexico to visit Chicago in October, on
the occasion of laying the corner stone Of
that city was cordially accepted by him.
can congress. but the fitness Of a member
Of his family prevented his attendance
The minister of foreign relations. how
ever, came as the personal representativ
of President Diaz and in that high char
acter was duly hOnOred
American sealing vessels in Bering sea
have been under discussion with the gov
ernment OF Russia Tor several years. WIN
the recent happy result of an agreement
to submit them to the decision of single
aFplLraIor- BY TINS act RUSSIA aIlofus
proof of her adherence 70 the benedcent
principle OF arbitration which her plenll-
pOtentiarieS cOnspicuOuSly favored at The
Hague disarmament conference when it
the United States.
A suggestion for a permanent exposition
Russia although not yet fully shaped has
been so cordially welcomed by the imper-
take a fitting place in whatever legisIa-
1on the congress may adopt looking to
Important events have occurred in the
samoan islands. The election, according
successor to the late King MaIietoa IaI1p-
of the result, which issue bv the terms of
The general act, was TO be decided by the
1uent in favor Of Malfetoa Tanu. the rival
chief Mataafa took up arms The active
ships became imperative to restore order
at the cost Of sanguinary encounters IN
Representatives of the United States. Ger
moa to investigate the situation and pro-
vide temporary remedy By its action
eIlorls OF peaceful solutlon was reached
IIof the 9ne being. the kingshlp
ionaf government Established Recommen-
cations unanimously made by the COM
mission for permanent adjustment of
consideration by the three powers parties
were examined the more evident it be
came that a radical change was neces-
- : sAM0AN AFFR4GRs. - N7''-i-''--'
me lnconVenienceS and possible perils
and control OF the Samoan group by pow
ers having little interest in common in
that quarter beyond Ommercial rivalry.
recent evAUts Tbe s7'elt13et4 81 lil ne
the Joint commission like the scheme it
aimed to replace, amounted to what has
been stvled a trid0minillrn being the eV-
ercise of the functions of sovereignty by
unanimous agreement of three powers.
The situation had become far more intri-
cate and embarrassing from every point
of view that 1t was when my predecessor
in 1884 summed up its perpleXities and
United States.
The arrangement under which Samoa
was administered had proved imprac-
ucable and unacceptable to all the
powers concerned. To withdraw from
lne agreement ana abandon the islands
to Germany and Great Britain would
not be compatible with our interests in
the archipelago. TC relinQuish our
rights in the harbor of PagO Pago. the
best anchorage in the Pacific the oc-
cupancy 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
aGTr rTrrrn
the tripartite 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 ar
Tangement was concluded between the
governments of Germany and of Eng
land, by virtue of which England re-
tired from Samoa, in view of cOmpensa-
tiOns in other directions and both pow
ers 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 hun
dred and seventy-hrst degree of west
longitude embracing the islands of
Tutuila, OfOO. OlOsenga and Manua- I
transmit to the senate for its COnstitu-
tional 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
residents of Samoa on account of in
juries alleged to have been suffered
through the acts of the treaty govern
ments in putting down the late dis
turbanceS- A convention has been made
between the three powers for the inves-
ttgation and settlement of these claims
by neutral arbitrator. to which the
attention of the senate viii be invited
TREATY WITH SPAIN.
My annual message of last year was
necessarily devoted in great part to a
consideration of the Spanish war and
of the results it wrought and the con-
ditiOns it imposed for the future I am
gratified to announce that the treaty
of peace has restored friendly rela-
tiOns between the two powers. Effect
has been given to its most important
provisions. The evacuation of Porto
Rico having already been accomplished
on the 18th of October. 1898. nothing
remained necessary there but to con-
tnue the provisional military control
of the island until the congress should
enact a suitable government for the
ceded territory. OF the character and
scope of the measures to that end Z
shall treat in another part of this mes
sage.
The withdrawal of the authority of
Spain from the island of Cuba was eff
fected by the first of January so that
the fun re-esta blishment of peace found