The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-15

Washington, April 14.-After hearing
this morning from the British and Ger
man Embassies, the State Department
WAS enabled to announce positively and
finally that the three parties to the Ber-
lin Treaty had agreed upon the lnStruc-
tiOns to be given their Samoan commas
sioners and that it was certain that the
commission would leave san Francisco
on the 25th instant for Samoa ON the
Badger.
The instructions to the commissioners
are identical. the three Governments IaY>
ing accepted Il form which comprises the
differences that have existed up 10 TINS
noint. The commission will be empower
ed to deal with the situation as it finds
lit i'm the Samoan Islands upon its arrival.
This applies to acts necessary to place
the affairs of the islands in peaceful
and satisfactory condition for the time
being. Whatever the commission does
in this direction is understood TO be of
a temporary character and subjets to the
approval of the three powers.
As to the merits of the bitter contG@E
versy between the representatives of the
powers on the islands which led up TO
the unfortunate outbreak of April 1St,
the commissioners are expected to make
Il thorough. impartial investigation and
report the results to their respective
Govelnnpn The latter will, by crdi-
nary diplomatic exchange apply any
corrections that seem TO be necessary.
The commissioners viii have no power
to alter the treaty of BERLIN. They
may make recommendations to that end,
and when they are unanimous, 1T is
probable that their recommendations may
be accepted for changes in the treaty.
At the British and German Embassies
the Samoan commission is considered
settled beyond further question, and ali
attention is now being given to the de-
parture of the commissioners.
CHAOS THREATENED THERE
Washington, April 14.-1he Cabinet
meeting to-day, which lasted longer than
usual. was devoted principally TO the dis
|cussion of the Samoan situation and the
instructions to the American commission
ers to the Cars disarmament conference
at The Hague.
A complete written report concerning
1.-THE preliminaries beading lTp to the hostil-
tiles, which was made to the Secretary Of
the Navy by Admiral Kautz, was read
to the Cabinet by Secretary Long 1t
throws some additional light upon the
complications prior to the Admiral's ar
rival. the most important fact brought
out being that the three cOnSuls, Ameri-
can, British and German, at the time
of the Admiral's arrival at Apia had
recognized the rGvolutionists under Ma
taafa. The Abataafa uprising, after
Chief Justice Chambers Gecision in IA
vor of Malietoa Tanu, the Admiral in
dicates was fomented largely by the Ger
man Consul who insisted upon rscogni-
zing Mataafa as King. Chaos was
threatened, and the Americans and
British residents considered themselves
in peril of their Ewes. A massacre was
feared. and under these circumstances
the American and British Consuls joined
with the German in recognizing the pro-
visi0nal governn, ealfa fa-~ss.--'' .,ifa
TO Admiral ms arrival,
however, the British and American CON
suls explained that they had been forced
to this action by the dureSs of the situa-
tion. The Admiral at the conference
aboard the Philadelphia, having salts
hers decision was in accordance with the
Berlin treaty, informed the consuls that
they had no power TO violate its proyis-
ion, and with the full acquiescence of the
British and American Consuls he issued
his manifesto desolving the provisional
government and Malietoa WAS crowned
King. The counter proclamation of the
German Consul and the shelling of the
natdve villages as recounted in the press
dispatches followed
The instructions of this Government
to the commissioner appointed to repre-
sent the United States at the Cars
disarmament conference which is to
meet at The Hague during the latter
part of May have been prepared by Secre-
tary Hay and were read at the meet
ing. Although the sympathy of the
United States for the Cars proposal is
we'll understood the exact nature of the
instructions to our commissioners is be-
ing careful guarded. 1t would be mani
festly improper To disclose our official
position at the conference in advance.
INTERPRETATION on SAMOA.
Berlin, April 1.-THE Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Barren Won Buelow, an
nounced in the Re!chstag today that an
agreement had been arrived at with
Great Rritain with regard 10 sending
conn IN to Samoa.
The pellation ON Samoa was pre-
scented by ". Lehr, an Extremist Pan
German, and was replied TO by the Min
lister of Foreign Affairs, Baron Won
BuelOw. The whole affair was looked
upon as a 6zzle and lasted only eighty
minutes.