The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-03

Of the admission of our life insurance
companies to de business in Prussia has
been reached. One Of the principal COM
panies has already been re-admitted and
the way is opened for the others to share
| the privilege
The settlement Of the Samoan pro-
| blem, to which I adverted in my last
message, has accomplished good results.
| Peace and contentment prevail in the is
lands. especially in Tutuila, where a
| convenient administration that has won
the confidence and esteem of the kindly
disposed natives has been organized un-
der the direction of the commander of
the United States naval station at Page
Page.
An imperial meat inspection law has
been enacted for Germany. While it
| may simplify the inspections, it prohibits
certain products heretofore admitted
! There is still great uncertainty as to
whether our wellnigh extinguished Ger
man trade in meat products can revive
under It's new burdens. Much will de-
pend upon regulations not yet prOmul-
| gated, which we confidently hope will be
/ free from the Determinations which at
| tended the enforcement of the old stat
utes.
The remaining link in the new lines of
/ direct Geographic communication be-
tweAn the United States and the Ger
man empire has recently been completed
affording a gratifying occasion for ex-
change Of friendly congratulations with
4 the German emperor
/ Our friendly relations with Great Brit
ain continue. The war in Southern AZ
/ RIGA introduced important questions. A
condition unusual in International wars
! was presented in that while one belli-
/ gerent had control of the seas, the other
| had no ports, shipping, or direct trade,
| but was only accessible through the ter
| ritory of a neutral. Vexatious questions
arose through Great Britains action in
respect to neutral cargoes, not contra
| band in their own nature. shipped to
I A frfo
of probable or suspected ultimate desti-
nation to the Boer states.
/ Such consignments in British ships, by
| which alone direct trade is kept up be-
| tween our ports and Southern Africa
| were seized in application OF a municipal
/ law prohibiting British vessels from
trading with the enemy without regard
to any contraband character of the goods,
| while cargOes shipped to Delagoa Bay
| in neutral bottoms We're arrested on the
| ground of alleged destination to enemy's
country. Appropriate representation on
our part resulted in the British govern
ment agreeing to purchase outright all
such goods shown to be the actual prop
erty of American citizens thus closing
! the incident to the satisfaction of the
Immediately interested parties, although
unfortunately without a broad settle
| ment OF the question of a neutrafs right
/ to send goods not contraband per Sc to
a neutral port adjacent to a belligerent
area
ALASKA BOUNDARY
Inc WOfk OF marking certain prOVlS-
| iona1 boundary points, for convenience
| of administra ton, around the head of
| Lynn canal. in accordance with the tenn
porary arrangement of October 1899
was completed by a joint survey in July
last. The modus vivendi has so far
worked without friction and the Domin-
ion government has provided rules and
regulations Tor securing to our citizens
| the benefit of the reciprocal stipulations
/ that the citizens or subjects of either
power found by that arrangement with
he 1s<.ks-
/ other shall suffer no diminution of the
rights and privileges they have hitherto
enjoyed. But however necessary such
an expedient may have been to tide over
| the grave emergencies of the situation,
it is at best but an unsatisfactory make
shift, which should not be suffered to
ishnent of the frontier line to which
we are entitled under the Russo-Ameri-
can treaty for the cession of Alaska.
In this relation I may refer again to
the need of definitely marking the Alas
kan boundary where it follows the one
hundred and forty first meridian. A con-
Vention to that end has been before the
senate for some two years, but as no ac-
ton has been taken ] contemplate ne
gotiating a new convention for a joint
determination of the meridian by tele-
graphic observations. These, it is be-
heyed, will give more accurate and un-
questionable results than the Sidereal
methods heretofore Independently fol-
lowed, which, as is known, proved dis
although not varying at any place more
| than 700 feet.
The pending claim of r. H. May
against the Guatemalan government
has been settled by arbitration, Mr. Geo.
F. B. JenneT, British minister at Guate-
maIa, who was chosen as sole arbitrator,
having awarded $143. 750, 70 in gold to the
claimant.
Various American claims against
Haiti have been or are being advanced
to the resort of arbitration.
AS the result of negotiations with the
government of Honduras in regard to
the indemnity demanded for the murder
of Frank H. Pears in Honduras, that
government has paid $4,000 in settle
ment of the claim of the heirs.
The assassination of King Humbert
called forth sincere expressions of sor-
row. from this government and people,
and occasion was fifty taken to testify
to the italian nation the high regard
here felt for the memory of the lament
ed ruler.
In my last message I referred at con-
siderable length to the lynching of five
Italians at Tallaluah. Notwithstanding
the efforts of the federal government,
the production of evidence tending to
inculpate the authors of this grievOus
offense against our civiliza tion and the
repeated inquests set on foot by the au-
thorities of the state of Louisiana, no
punishments have followed Successive
grand juries have failed to indict. The
representations of the Italian govern
ment in the face of this miscarriage
have been most temperate and just
Setting the principle at issue high
above all consideration of merely pecun-
larry naturalization, such as this gov
eminent made in the three previous
cases, Italy has solemnly invoked the
pledges of existing treaty and asked
that the justice to which she is entitled
shall be melted in regard to her unfor-
tunate countrymen in our territory with
the same full measure she herself would
give to any American were his recip-
rocal treaty rights condemned.
I renew the urgent recommendation
I made last year that the congress ap-
propriately confer upon the federal
courts Jurisdiction in this class of inter-
national cases where the ultimate re-