[Inclosure in No. 388.]
Mr. Strobel to the
Marquis de la Vega de
Armijo.
Legation of the United States,
Madrid
,
January 17,
1889
.
Excellency: In my note of September 17, 1887,
to your excellency’s distinguished predecessor, Señor Moret, in
reference to the arrest and imprisonment at Ponape of the American
missionary, Mr. Doane, I took occasion to quote the explicit and
emphatic assurance of Señor Elduayen given to this legation in his note
dated October 15, 1887, as to the aid and protection which would be
extended to the American missionaries in the Caroline Islands after
their active occupation by the Spanish Government. It may not be
improper for me again to refer to the above note of Senor Elduayen in
presenting to your excellency the following facts:
Mr. Doane, after his return to Ponape, was called upon by the governor
resident at that place to submit to him the deeds which he held of
mission lands in different parts of the island. These deeds are very
simple documents, but they bear the signature or mark of the chief who
made the gift of the land occupied by the church, the schoolhouse, or
the missionary’s residence, as the case may be. While not the formal
documents used in civilized countries, they are as complete and
satisfactory as, under the circumstances, it is possible to secure.
The reason stated by the governor of Ponape for requiring the
presentation of the deeds to him was, that he desired to forward them to
Manila to the governor-general of the Philippine Islands, who would,
after examination, give them his approval and return them.
Although many months have passed, and there have been several occasions
for communicating with Manila, the deeds still remain in the hands of
the governor, and have never been restored.
I have, therefore, been instructed to make an earnest representation on
this subject to your excellency, in the hope that the Government of
Spain, which has so clearly expressed its good-will towards the American
missionaries in the Caroline Islands, will take measures to effect the
early restoration to their owners of these important proofs of
title.
I gladly avail myself of this occasion to renew, etc.,
