Baron von Thielmann to Mr. Olney.
Washington, December 18, 1896. (Received Dec. 19.)
Mr. Secretary of State: Mr. Schmidt, president of the municipal council at Apia, has expressed to the Imperial Government his intention to sail for home on the 23d of January next, at the latest, availing himself of the departure of a vessel which leaves Apia on that day. As Mr. Schmidt accepted the office to which he was appointed for a period of three years only, and as that period will expire on the 31st of the present month of December, there is, in the opinion of the Imperial Government, no objection to Mr. Schmidt’s plan, and his departure can not be prevented. As regards the arrival of Dr. Raffel, Mr. Schmidt’s successor, he will, in all probability, not reach Apia until several months have elapsed. The Imperial Government considers it desirable that the duties of the municipal president should, in the meantime, be performed by the consuls of the treaty powers, just as was done after the retirement of Baron Senfft von Pilsach, the former municipal president, until Mr. Schmidt’s arrival.
In having the honor to bring the foregoing to your excellency’s notice, I beg, in pursuance of instructions received, to be informed, as speedily as practicable, whether the United States Government shares the view of the Imperial Government, and is prepared to instruct its representative at Apia accordingly.