Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, Appendix I, Chinese-Japanese War, Enforcement of Regulation Respective to Fur Seals, Mosquito Territory, Affairs at Bluefields, Claim of Antonio Maximo Mora, Import Duties on Certain Products of Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela, Affairs in the Samoan Islands

Mr. Gresham to Baron Saurma.

Department of State,
Washington, September 6, 1893.

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Baron Ketteler’s two notes, dated the 17th and 21st ultimo, respectively, with regard to affairs in Samoa.

In the former it is stated that Mataafa and eleven of the ringleaders belonging to his party, in accordance with an agreement concluded between the three consuls of the treaty powers and the commanders of the war vessels stationed at Apia, have been deported to the Union Islands. In the latter it is suggested, in view of a proposal from Her Britannic Majesty’s Government that Mataafa and his eleven followers be transferred to one of the islands belonging to the German possessions in the South Pacific, that Juliut, one of the Marshall Islands, where the imperial commissioner resides, is a proper and well adapted place for the detention of Mataafa and his rebel chiefs.

The Government of the United States assents to this arrangement as well as to the further suggestion that the expenses of the maintenance of these chiefs be divided among the three powers.

In this connection I shall be pleased to be advised of the probable expense to be so entailed.

In view of this condition of affairs at Apia, I note the statement of the Imperial Government that the dispatch of the U. S. S. Philadelphia appears to be no longer necessary.

Accept, etc.,

W. Q. Gresham.