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, January 13, 1894.

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of November 23 last. You therein inclose the receipt of Mr. E. Schmidt, president of the municipal council of Apia, for 2,100 marks ($500, United States currency), being the quota due from this Government on account of his traveling expenses.

It appears that this amount has been advanced by the German Government and that it is to be offset by a receipt from Mr. Henry C. Ide, chief justice of Samoa, for a like sum on account of expenses which were advanced to him by the Government of the United States on behalf of the German Government.

I inclose for your information a certified copy of the voucher signed by Mr. Ide on September 22, 1893, trusting that this may be sufficient for His Majesty’s Government’s purposes. In case, however, it be still desired, Mr. Ide, who, as you are aware, is now in Samoa, will be requested to sign and return to this Government a receipt for $500, which latter will be sent to you to replace the certified copy now inclosed.

Accept, sir, etc.,

W. Q. Gresham.

inclosure.

Certified copy of voucher as above referred to.

Memorandum.

The imperial German consul at Apia has in his reports to the foreign office expressed the opinion that the term of the Samoan land commission, which according to the agreement entered into by the treaty powers in May, 1893, will expire on March 31, 1894, will have to be extended for a further period of eight or nine months from that date for the completion of the labors of said land commission.

The imperial secretary of state for foreign affairs has therefore addressed the United States ambassador residing in Berlin and the British ambassador accredited to the imperial court requesting them to lay before their Governments the proposal to extend the term of the labors of the Samoan land commission to the end of this year—i. e., the 31st of December, 1894.

The Imperial Government would feel greatly obliged for an early decision on the part of the United States Government with regard to this matter, in order that the labors of the commission may continue without interruption, and would request, with a view to sending the necessary instructions to the German member of the commission at Apia prior to the 31st of March, that the United States Government’s decision might be transmitted by telegraph through the United States embassy at Berlin.

German Embassy, January 18, 1894.