Sir Julian
Pauncefote to Mr. Gresham.
British
Embassy,
Washington, December 12,
1893.
Sir: In the note which I had the honor to
address to yon on the 24th of October last I inclosed a copy of a
dispatch addressed by the Earl of Rosebery to Her Majesty’s chargé
d’affaires at Berlin respecting the deportation of Mataafa and other
chiefs from Samoa.
I am now directed by his lordship to transmit to yon a copy of a dispatch
which he has received from Her Majesty’s ambassador at Berlin, conveying
the assent of the German Government to the proposal that the wives of
the banished chiefs should be permitted to accompany them into
exile.
I am desired at the same time to state that his lordship would be very
glad to be favored at an early date with the views of the U. S.
Government upon this subject.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Sir E. B. Malet
to Earl Rosebery.
Berlin, November 22,
1893.
My Lord: Mr. Gosselin communicated to the
Imperial Government the substance of your lordship’s dispatch No.
256, of the 14th ultimo, respecting the question of allowing the
wives of the Chief Mataafa and his followers to accompany their
husbands into exile, and I now have the honor to inclose copy and
translation of Baron von Marschairs reply to that communication.
I have, etc.,
[Page 611]
[Inclosure to
inclosure.—Translation.]
Baron von
Marschall to Mr. Gosselin.
Foreign Office,
Berlin, November 19,
1893.
Mr. Chargé d’Affaires: You were good enough
to suggest, in your note of the 16th ultimo, that the wives of the
Chief Mataafa and of his followers should be made to rejoin their
husbands in exile. With regard to this matter I have the honor to
inform you that the Imperial Government concur in the humane view
taken in the note above mentioned and are willing that the lot of
the exiles should be lightened by the presence of their families. In
order to attain this end, as one of His Majesty’s ships could hardly
be employed for a transport of this nature, it would be necessary to
find a suitable opportunity of sending the women to the place of
exile by a merchant vessel. But before definite instructions oil the
subject are issued to the consul it will be necessary to obtain the
concurrence of the Government of the United States to the proposed
action.
In requesting you, Mr. Chargé d’Affaires, to be so good as to inform
me of the outcome of the representations made to the U. S.
Government in this sense,
I avail, etc.,
