Baron Saurma to Mr. Gresham.
Washington, January 31, 1894.
Mr. Secretary of State: Referring to your excellency’s note of the 22d instant (with memorandum), in which was announced the consent of the Unite States Government to the extension of the time allowed for the labors of the Samoan land commission, to the close of the year [Page 701] 1894, I have the honor to make the following communication to your excellency:
According to the reports received by the Imperial Government from Apia, the members of the land commission are convinced that, even with the utmost diligence, it will be quite impossible for them to finish their labors by the 31st of March next. Both the German and the English land commissioner firmly believe, however, that the extension by one year of the time for their labors, which was proposed by the commission last year, would have been sufficient to enable them to terminate the examination of all land claims, as provided by the Samoa act, if those labors had not been interrupted for nearly eight months, owing to the fact that the office of American commissioner was vacant.
Now that the time allowed for the work of the commission appears to have been sufficiently extended, it would seem to be necessary to make provision at once to prevent another interruption.
As the American commissioner is said to have repeatedly stated that he was to remain not longer than the close of the month of March, 1894, and that he would therefore in all probability take his departure at that time, the American commissioner should be directed without delay to remain at Apia beyond that time, or the timely appointment of a successor be made.
In the reports which have been received by the Imperial Government from Apia, the talent as a jurist of Mr. William Lea Chambers, the new American member of the Samoan land commission, is spoken of in complimentary terms. He has quickly made himself familiar with his new duties, and has zealously and intelligently labored to further the work of the commission, so that during the brief period which elapsed between the time of his arrival and the 1st instant, upwards of sixty land claims were adjudicated.
I may refer, in this connection, to a letter of Chief Justice Henry C. Ide, dated Apia, December 6, a copy of which has been sent to me by the chancellor of the Empire, and which has doubtless come, in the same form, to your excellency’s notice.
While, therefore, Mr. Chambers’ stay at his post subsequently to March 31, 1894, seems in every way desirable in the interest of the furtherance of the work to be done by the land commission, I should be greatly obliged to your excellency if you would inform me what has been done in this matter.
I avail myself, etc.,