Mr. Gresham to Sir Julian Pauncefote.
Washington, August 31, 1893.
Excellency: In connection with the Department’s notes of the 1st and 10th instants, concerning the appointment of Mr. Henry C. Ide as chief justice of Samoa, vice Mr. Cedercrantz, and of Mr. Schmidt as president of the municipal council at Apia, vice Baron Senfft von Pilsach, I have now the honor to state that I have given consideration to the other matters treated of by Mr. von Holleben, late German minister, in his note of July 8, 1893.
With regard to the appointment of Mr. Ide, the minister suggested that telegraphic instructions be sent to the minister of the United States at Stockholm to the end that “he, conjointly with the German and English representatives, might take proper steps to secure the recall of Mr. Cedercrantz,” who, it was thought, would probably remain at his post until the arrival of his successor.
The Department has adopted this course, and has caused the Government of Sweden to be advised, as Mr. Adee in his note of the 1st instant informed you, that Mr. Ide intended to depart for his post by the steamer leaving San Francisco October 20, 1893. He will proceed directly to Samoa, reaching Apia in all probability about the middle of November.
The suggestion was made by the Imperial German Government that Mr. Cedercrantz and Baron Senfft von Pilsach should receive the salaries of their respective offices up to the time of their being actually [Page 599] relieved by their successors. This suggestion had my concurrence, provided it had received the sanction of Her Britannic Majesty’s Government.
In this relation the German Government expressed doubt as to there being sufficient money belonging to the Samoan Government to discharge these obligations, and cited the provisions of the general act (Article iii, section 2) whereby the three treaty powers are obliged to make good any deficiency in the salary of the chief justice.
No such obligation existed, it was stated, touching the salary of the president of the municipal council, but the German Government thought it would be an unreasonable hardship for that officer, because of the insufficiency of the funds of Samoa available for the purpose, not to receive the full amount of his compensation. Hence it was suggested that it was incumbent upon the three treaty powers, by whom he was appointed, to make good any deficiency; provided, however, that the amount “shall hereafter be deducted from the revenues of the Samoan Government,” which the German Government believed would be ample to meet all legitimate expenses under capable management, such as was anticipated from Mr. Schmidt’s administration. I assented to this course provided it had the approval of Her Majesty’s Government, and I expressed the hope that the revenues of Samoa might be so wisely managed that the expenses prescribed in the general act might be met therefrom.
“The Imperial Government,” stated Mr. von Holleben, “further thinks it would be proper to pay the expenses of the homeward journey of the returning officers, together with those of the removal of their residence, although this was not expressly promised to them when they were appointed.”
Accordingly, a lump sum of $1,500 was suggested to be paid to each officer on that account, and it was stated that these financial proposals of the Imperial Government were agreeable to Her Majesty’s Government in case they met the approval of the United States.
The share of this Government towards the homeward transit of Mr. Cedercrantz and Baron Senfft von Pilsach, based upon the payment to each of $1,500, will be $1,000 for the two, and I shall instruct the consular representative of the United States at Apia that whenever he is advised by his colleagues of Great Britain and Germany that they have been authorized to pay over to Mr. Cedercrantz and Baron von Pilsach, or the latter’s legal representative, a like sum on account of homeward transit, to draw upon the Secretary of State for the $1,000 necessary to pay the share of this Government on that account.
In this connection I wish to advert to Mr. Adee’s note of the 1st instant wherein it was stated that in compliance with the request of Mr. Ide provision should be made by the three powers for the payment of the actual expenses of removing himself and his family to Samoa. It was also added that this Government would bear its pro rata share.
I shall be glad to learn the decision of Her Britannic Majesty’s Government as to this proposition in order that I may communicate it to Mr. Ide at his home in Vermont, so that he may be governed accordingly.
I have, etc.,