Baron von Ketteler to
Mr. Olney.
[Translation.]
Imperial German Embassy,
Washington, May 14,
1895.
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note of April 25 last, No.
54, addressed to the Imperial ambassador, Baron von Saurma.
A decision of the Government of the United States is contained therein
according to which, by virtue of the provisions of the Samoan acts, the
president of the municipality in Apia could not be vested with the right
to control the disbursements of the Samoan revenues, although the United
States Government entirely pledges itself to the joint endeavor of
preventing any squandering of them.
Meanwhile, further reports from Apia have reached the Imperial
Government, from which it irrefutably appears that the financial
administration there had suffered continued damage without the treaty
Governments having been able to intervene, and without the official
administrator appointed by them having been able to obtain any influence
over the fiscal administration.
The clearest proof hereof is furnished by a communication under date of
March 15 last, addressed by the president of the municipality to the
consular representatives of the treaty powers, a copy of which I beg to
inclose with a view of completing the statement, although I may assume
that your excellency, in accordance with the wish of Mr. Schmidt, the
president of the municipality, has been directly advised, through the
United States consul-general in Apia, of the appropriation, as
unexpected as it was unnecessary, contained in the resolution of the
King and the Government of Samoa of March 13 last.
While it is again seen from this document to what untenable conditions
the present financial action of the Samoan Government leads, it is also
seen how imminently necessary it is to put an end in one way or another
to this state of affairs.
The resolution of the Samoan Goverment may be summarized to the effect
that the amount obtained through the sale of the printing plant, which
at least, in part, might have been applied to the liquidation of old
Government debts, is to be squandered uselessly and without purpose in
favor of the natives. In order to avoid such squandering of Samoan
finances which has also been complained of by the United States, and
moreover to prevent any subsequent demand being made upon the three
treaty powers to meet the deficit in the Samoan exchequer, the Imperial
Government considers it its duty, notwithstanding, to return to a
discussion of the question of the control of the Samoan finances, in
which it believes to entertain in principle the same views
[Page 1140]
as those of the Governments
of the United States and Great Britain, while as to the manner
(execution) of such control the Department of State entertains a
diverging opinion from that of the other treaty powers on the
subject.
In kindly requesting a reconsideration of this matter,
I avail, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
President Schmidt
to the Consuls.
Gentlemen: In continuation of my letters of
December 29, 1894, and January 30,1895, concerning the Samoan
finances, I have the honor to transmit to you copies of the latest
Government resolutions in reply to my estimate of this year’s
receipts and expenses.
I should thank you for kindly forwarding also this document to your
Governments, to serve as an illustration of the consequences
resulting from Chief Justice Ide’s decision on the rights and duties
of the Samoan treasurer.
I have, etc.,
[Subinclosure.—Translation.]
Resolutions of the meeting held by the King and
Government on March 13, 1895.
Chapter I.—The Printing Office.
It is the true wish of the King and the Government that the printing
plant and its appurtenances be sold to Chatfield for $700. As to the
house, the Government has no control over it.
Chapter II.—Tuvale’s Salary.
- 1.
- It is true that the Government owes Tuvale $210 for seven
months during which he has worked on Government business and by
the King’s order, those months during which he was not paid by
the great Powers, though he was going on to work under the
King’s instructions and the Government’s wish in land
matters.
- 2.
- It is the Government’s wish, if there are no funds to meet
that debt, that Tuvale should receive a written acknowledgment
of the debt from the president pending its payment at a time
when there are funds available.
- 3.
- It is the Government’s and the King’s wish that Tuvale should
get $30 a month for January and February, 1895, because he did
all the work ordered by the King and desired by the
Government.
- 4.
- It is the Government’s and the King’s wish that A. T. Tio be
reappointed secretary to the native attorney in the land cases
to be heard in the supreme court. He shall have a salary of $35
a month from the 1st of March, 1895.
Chapter III.—Selu Leauanae.
8. Leaunae shall have, by the decision of the Government and the
King, a salary of $30 a month from the 1st of March, 1895, in
accordance with his application.
Chapter IV.—Papalii Folau.
Chief Judge Papalii Folau shall have $30 a month from the 1st of
March, in accordance with his application.
Chapter V.— Malietoa Laupepas’s Civil
List.
It is the wish of the Government that the payments to His Afioga be
resumed from the beginning of this year, 1895, the amount granted by
the Government being $150 a month.
[Page 1141]
Chapter VI.
It is the Government’s wish that the president be informed of these
items, in order to have them paid by installments as far as the
estimated income of $900 allows of it. The balance shall be
acknowledged by certificates, which shall be paid as a Government
debt when funds shall be available.
This is to certify that the foregoing is the wish of the Government
of Samoa.
Given under my hand and great seal, on
March 13,
1895.
[
l.
s.]
Malietoa, King of Samoa.
