Mr. von Mumm to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, March 3, 1892.
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to inform you, in pursuance of instructions received, that the Imperial Government has relieved Mr. Eggert, who has hitherto been a member of the Samoa land commission, on acoount of his serious illness, and that, with a view to avoiding as far as possible any delay in the work to be done by the commission, it has by telegraph authorized the acting imperial consul at Apia to select a suitable person from among the Germans residing there, and to empower him to act provisionally as land commissioner until the arrival of the commissioner who is soon to be appointed.
The instructions sent some time ago by you to the American member of the commission, to expedite its labors, seem to be the more valuable and necessary since, according to the information in our possession, of the 3,705 land claims that have been laid before the land commission but 72 have been acted upon, and a final settlement of the 3,633 claims still remaining can not be expected within the period of two years, which has been allowed for that purpose, unless the work is expedited to the utmost possible extent. The German member of the land commission, [Page 634] as I have already had the honor verbally to inform you, will make every effort to assist his American colleague in bringing the disputed claims to a speedy settlement.
Accept, Mr. Secretary of State, etc.,