Evening star., 1899-04-08
Mr.. @. N. E. Eliot Chosen for the
Samoan Commission.
BELONGS TO BRITISH EMBASSY
Has a Fine Record in the Foreign
Service.
VIEWS OF THE GERMANS

The British government has selected Mr..
c. N. E. Eliot. C. B., as the British member
of the joint high commission for the settle
ment of the Samoan question. The British
ambassador, Sir Julian Pauncefote. called
at the State Department at noon today and
advised Secretary Hay of Mr.. Eliot's selec-
tion The appointment gave much satisfac-
tion in gogsrnment and diplomatic circles
as Mr.. Eliot is-a member of the embassy
staff, and during his brief service here has
made many friends. 1t also added assur-
ance that the real differences over the Sa-
moan trouble are well nigh finished. now
that the governments have turned their at
tention to the selection of commissioners
fer its adjustment.
t Mr.. Eliot has the reputation of being one
of the brightest lights among that school
of brilliant young Englishmen who have
attached themselves to thu British foreign
service during the last decade He is an
orientalist of high repute and has in a
brief space of time, acquired an experience
IL dealing with the half-ciyilized races that
Will, without doubt, make his services of
value to the Samoan commission
Mr. EIiot's Diplomatic Career.
Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot was
born in 1864, being the son of Rev E. Eliot
of Millbroek, Jersey. He was educated first
at Cheltenham, and was elected a scholar
at Baliol College, Oxford, in 1879, and
fellow of Trinity College in 1884. His Dip
lonatic service began July "a, 1886, when
he was nominated to be an attache. He
passed a competitive examination Septem-
Der %, 1886, and another in public law
June 4, 1887. He had distinguished him
self during his collegiate career, having
taken the Syriac prize and the Derby schol-
arship. He was appointed to the embassy
at st. Petersburg June ~, 1887, and was
promptly granted an allowance for his
knowledge of Russian. September %, 1883,
he was appointed to be third secretary of
the embassy. He was transferred tenn
porarily TO Tangier, Morocco July u, 1892
He was granted an allowance for knowl-
edge of Arabic in 1892, during which year
he acted as charge d'affaires at Tangier
He was transferred to the British embassy
at Constantinople September 13, 1893. and
here again he was granted an allowance for
knowledge of Turkish and was promoted to
be second secretary of embassy June /,
1898 Mr.. Eliot was placed in charge of the
British agency at Sofia July 81, 1898, and
remained there until October g. He was
sent to the legation at Belgraye In 1897.
and remained there for two months. May
p, 1898, the young diplomat was made a
Commander of the Bath, an order which, 1t
Is said, is rarely bestowed except in case
of very conspicuous service to the crown.
Mr.. Eliot was transferred to Washington
from Constantinople November 1 last, and
in the absence of Mr.. Tower has taken a
leading part In the management OF the al
fairs of the embassy.
From the German Point of View.
Official German circles here are not in
clined to attach too much Importance to
the Samoan reports just received. Favor
able reference is made to the view taken
by some of the leading American papers to
the effect that as the provisional govern
ment was constituted by the unanimous
vote of the three conSuls there is at least
room for the argument that 1t could be
dismissed by nothing less than the unani-
nous action of the consuls. In this view of
the case Germany may claim that Admiral
Kautz acted hastily or without due author
ity.
1t is further pointed out that the so-called
agreement arrived at between the con-
suls, of which Admiral Kautz speaks in
his proclamation, cannot have been a
unanimous one, as the contrary is proved
by the proclamation of Herr Rose.
From the German standpoint, therefore,
it appears questionable if Admiral kautz
was entitled to use language from which
it might be inferred that he had the as
sent of the German consul for his procla-
nation, when just the contrary was the
truth. If offense is taken at the wording
of the proclamation issued by the German
consul, the German view is that this proc
lamation was issued in the Samoan Ian
guage, translations from which may not
be very easy and apt to misnterpreta-
tions.
In the meanwhile Admiral Kautz and
the representatives of all the signatory
powers will have been notified of the inten-
ton of the powers to settle the Samoan
question by joint high commission, so
that the best posted German authorities
here say it is reasonable to presume that
We have heard the last of the fighting
among the natives of Samoa.