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

Baron Saurma to Mr. Gresham.

[Translation.]

Imperial German Embassy,
Washington, May 7, 1894.

Mr. Secretary of State: As your excellency will see by the inclosed copy of a communication from the president of the municipality, dated Apia, February 19, 1894, that officer has communicated to the consuls of the treaty powers a resolution adopted by the municipality, the object of which is to exclude German and American money as a legal tender from Samoa, and to cause none but English money at the rate of 4 shillings to the dollar to be received. In the opinion of the Imperial Government, there is, at present, no reason for the adoption of such a resolution by the municipality; it would, moreover, be in contravention of the right established in the Samoa act. In Article vi, section 4, of that treaty, it is expressly provided that, besides American dollars and cents, other coins may circulate in Samoa at their standard value. The Imperial Government consequently intends to instruct the imperial consul at Apia in this sense.

In having the honor to bring the foregoing to your excellency’s notice, I take the liberty, in pursuance of instructions received from the Imperial Government, to make the inquiry whether the U. S. Government has received the above-mentioned resolution of the municipal council, and what position your excellency proposes to take in the matter.

In connection with previous correspondence had by the Department of State with the imperial legation at Washington in reference to the Samoan money question, I take the liberty to refer to the note of Mr. William F. Wharton, Acting Secretary of State, to Mr. von Holleben, the imperial envoy, of March 24, 1892, and to that of Mr. Alvey A. Adee, Acting Secretary of State, to Baron von Ketteler, of August 15, 1892.

Hoping to be favored with a reply, I avail myself, etc.,

Saurma.

[Inclosure.]

T. B. Cusack-Smith, Esq.,
Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul.

M. Biermann, Esq.,
Imperial German Consul.

W. Blacklock, Esq.,
U. S. Vice-Consul-General.

Gentlemen: As is known to you, the municipal council of Apia, at a meeting held on the 7th instant, has taken the following resolution:

“That the president he requested to communicate with their respective governments with a view to the elimination of the German and American coinage from the treaty currency of this country and the adoption of the British coinage at the rate of 4 shillings per dollar.”

I have now the honor, most respectfully, to request that you kindly communicate in the matter with your Governments and inform me of the result.

I have, etc,

E. Schmidt,
President of the Municipal Council.

Apia, February 18, 1894.