The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-22
GERMANY
King Oscar of Sweden and Nor
way Renders Verdict
AS Arbiter in the COntrOYer
Over Samoa.
GREAT ASTONISHMENT
VIII Be Felt in the United
Will Be Felt in the United
States and England.
Both Countries We're Confident
of Their Position.

New York, Oct. 22.-King Oscar of
Sweden and Norway has decided the
Samoan controversy in favor of Ger
many, says a dispatch to the Tribune
from Washington. This fact became
known on the return of Mr.. Grip, the
minister of Sweden and Norway, from
long visit to his home. Mr.. Grip
called at the state department, but did
not disclose the decision of his sovereign
which must be formally presented sim
ultaneously to the three powers con-
cerned The announcement will be as
tOnishing to the governments of the
United States and Great Britain, which
were confident that they would estab
lish fully the legality and propriety of
the joint landing of marines at Apia in
1899 to sustain the decree of the Samoan
supreme court and end the revolution.
The full scope of the arbitration de-
cree of King Oscar is not yet divulged,
and the extent to which it covers the
CLAIMS Tor damages filed by the cltlZenS
of the three countries and of France
may not be known for several days
These claims, which were nominally the
prime cause for arbitration. are insig-
n1hcant, however, compared with the
question of national honor on which
they depended and If the action of the
/ United States and Great Britain had
/ been sustained by the royal arbiter
would have fallen to the ground.
! The Samoan dispute grew out of the
concerted action of Rear Admiral Lautz
of the American navy and Capt. Sturdy
/ OI Tue oI1llSn navy, III lanQlnS d COlIl-
bined American and British force at
Apia on April 1, 1899. for the purpose of
making a reconnaissance and brea king
up Mataafa's supporters, who were in
rebellion against the recognized govern
ment- 1t was on this occasion that
Phillip LanSdale, the executive officer of
the Philadelphia, Ensign r. Monaghan
and two enlisted Americans. Lieut..
Freeman and two British sailors wers
killed. Surgeon Lung. now one of Pres
ldent Roosevelt's physicians, was the
medical officer of the landing party.
The u. S. ship Badger was promptly
sent to the scene, carrying an interna-
tiOnal commission composed of Bartlett
+ Tripp, representing the United States.
and Won Steinbcrg, the German COM
missioner, and c. n. Elliott the British
commissioner. Claims amounting to
nearly $4,000 were filed by German.
French and American residents on ac-
count of damages caused by the landing
party.
AS the chief result of the conclusions of
the commission, the tripartite agreement
of 1889 was abrogated, the islands being
divided between the United States and
Germany, while Great Britain withdrew.
y convention was signed at Washington
on November T. 1899, submitting the claims
of Samoan residents to the king of Sweden
and Norway for arbitration. the main
questions being whether the military action
/ of the United States and Great Britain
had been warranted. Immediately the afs-
gregats of claims, most of them German
and American. rose to about SSo0000.
In July, 1900, King Oscar consented to
act as arbitrator and last spring the
briefs containing the arguments on the
main point at issue and the schedule OF
claims was submitted to him.
Correspondence between the representa-
tives of the three powers in Apia at the
time was spread upon the records and was
/ extremely bitter and full of reflections
upon the honor of the nations concerned
and there were frank declarations that if
the naval forces of the United States and
Great Britain had not been supreme in the
absence of German warships clash must
have occurred. which would have brought
the United States and Germany to the
verge of war.
The claims which are incidental to the
larger question were filed by citizens OF
the United States, Germany, Great Britain
France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and
Norway Portugal and Switzerland and
natives of Samoa. Citizens Of the United
States ask for ST Cos to reimburse then
for their losses in the bombardment; sub
iects of Germany want s1O3,91S; subjects
of Great Britain s6,2S5. and citizens OF
France S26 321.