Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-10-23
OSCAR FINDS FOR GERMANY
King Of Sweden and Norway Decides
Samoan Island Dispute,
SURPRISE TO ENGLISH AND AMERICANS
Several Hundred Thousand Dollars
worth of Private Claims Are In
vOlved and Under Decision
Must BE Paid.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-King Oscar Of
Sweden and Norway has decided the Samoan
controversy in favor OF Germany.
This fact became known on the return
OF Mr.. Grip, the minister Of Sweden and
Norway, from a long visit to his home.
Mr.. Grip called at the State department,
but did not, Of course, disclose the decision
Of his sovereign, which must be formally
presented simultaneously to three powers
concerned.
The announcement will be astonishing to
the governments OF the United States and
Great Britain, which we're confident that
they would establish 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 arbitral decree OF
King Oscar is not yet divulged and the ex-
tent to which it covers the claims for dam
ages filed by the citizens OF three countries
and Of France may not be known for sew
eral days. These claims which we're NOM
inally the prime cause for arbitration, are
Insignificant, 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 sus-
tained by the royal arbiter would have
fallen to the ground.
Origin of the Dispute.
The Samoan dispute grew out Of the
concerted action of Rear Admiral Kautz
OF the United States navy and Captain
Study OF the British navy, In leading a
combined American and British force at
Apia on April 1, 1899. for the purpose Of
making reconnaissance and breaking up
Mataafa's supporters. who were in rebel
lion against the recognized government. II
was on this occasion that Philip Lansdale,
the executive oficer of the Philadelphia.
Ensign J. r. Monaghan and two enlisted
Americans and Lieutenant Freeman and
two British sailors were killed.
Surgeon Lung, now one Of President
Roosevelt's physicians, was the medical
of1cer of the landing party. The United
States ship Badger was promptly sent to
the scene, carrying an international com
mission, composed of Bartlett Tripp, rep
resenting the United States, and Won
sternberg, the German commissioner, and
G. N. Elliott, the British commissioner.
Claims amounting to nearly $500, 600 were
hled by German, French, British and
| American residents on account of damages
caused by the landing party. AS the chief
result of the investigations Of the com
mission the triparite agreement Of 1899
was abrogated. the islands being divided
between the United States and Germany,
while Great Britain withdrew.
May ASSESS the Damages.
An intimation has been received here
that King Oscar Of Sweden, who is actine
as the arbitrator of the issues between the
| United States, Germany and Great Britain
| growing out of the Samoan rebellion OF
| 1899, will decide that the facts presented tC
him in the briefs OF counsel, which have
been pending for nearly year, warrant hin
in proceeding to assess the damages sus.
tanned by foreign residents Of Samoa as &
result Of the landing of combined force
OF American and British sailors and marines
and the destruction of property incident t
the ensuing fight with the rebels.
BY the terms of the treaty under which
the three powers agreed to submit thest
! claims to arbitration the arbitraor was frs
to declare whether or not the American
and British were at all liable for damage
and II so then he was to determine tn
amount Of that liability. He has, it is un
derstood, concluded to decide the first uues
tion in the Affirmative, though, it is state
here. that no oficial notice to that effec
has yet been conveyed to our government.
The next step is to fix the amount OF tn
} damages and this must be done by Kin
Oscar upon the basis Of the facts now to b
presented by the representatives Of the gov
] ernments concerned. The German claim
5 are far larger than the others. amounting I
= s10391s while the American claims ar
ST, 7,605 and the British only $6,2S5.
8 There are claims OF nations not party
: the arbitration that may be included in tn
final judgment, but these are not of muc
consequence. Altogether the total OF II
claims is not imposing and 1t is certai
from the nature Of the proof adduced In SUI
S'l port Of many Of them that even that tott
will be heavily scaled down by the arb
v traitor.
Not a Question of Money.
So It is not the amount Of money II
volved in this approaching decision OF Il
Il arbitrator that concerns the government
: the United States, but rather the enunci
& tion of principle which, II accepted as
10 precedent would be unpalatable and wou
=, so seriously restrict the assertion of Amer
can rights in foreign countries in case
E. revolution or Tioting, jeopardizing the liv
h and property Of our citizens, that 1t wou
ir amount to the total withdrawal Of pr
'r lection. This can never be admitted, a.
ID so it may be positively stated that, Will
l. the United STATES government will acce
g. the arbitration loyalty and pay any daI
II ages assessed against It. it will utter
+ refuse to be bound by such a principle
le to recognize 1t as establishing a precedeI
Otherwise the United States governme
Is could be held liable for enormous damag
in cases where it lands troops upon t
l. Isthmus Of Panama. resulting in a collisi
le with rioters or rebels even though
~ government is solemnly bound by treaty
10 preserve free trafic across the isthml
's For It is pointed out that similarly {
United States was bound by a treaty IN
, case OF Samoa TO preserve the integrity
l. the titular government and II was in
course Of an effort to discharge this d.
y that the claims were originated.
II our naval vessels cannot interfere
preserve life and property in the preseI
Of a specific treaty, OF course they woV
be still more helpless without a treaty q
they could not land marines in any OF
- West Indian or Central and South AmeriC
=, ports in any emergency without risk
" ', liability for heavy damages.
These considerations will lead TO