Mr. Thomas to Mr. Blaine.
Stockholm, July 7, 1890. (Received July 23.)
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 38 of May 15, and my dispatch No. 60 of June 2 in reply thereto, I now have the honor to further inform you that, agreeably to the invitation of Baron Akerhielm, minister of state and acting minister of foreign affairs, I called at the foreign office at 3 o’clock this afternoon, in company with my colleagues Baron Gaertner, chargé d’affaires of Germany, and the Hon. Hugh Gough, chargé d’affaires of Great Britain.
We were received by Baron Akerhielm, who gave us informal notice that the King, in accordance with the request of the United States, Germany, and Great Britain, proposed to appoint as chief justice of Samoa, Otto Conrad Waldemar Cedercrantz, a Swedish subject and associate justice of the Swedish court of appeals. Baron Akerhielm further stated that Judge Cedercrantz had been consulted and would accept the position.
Judge Cedercrantz was born on October 22, 1854, on his father’s estate, Kulltorp, Suna parish, in the province of Småland, Sweden. At 9 years of age he was taken to Upsala, the university city of the Kingdom, and there received his earlier education at “the Cathedral School,” a free public school. He passed a successful examination and entered the University of Upsala on May 17, 1872. After studying the general branches for 2 years, he entered the department of law, and thenceforth pursued the special study of the law for 4 years, or until 1880, when he graduated with honor from the university, taking the juris utriusque candidat examen, as it is called. He then assisted at the country courts, both as lawyer and provisional judge, for 2 years.
In 1882 he received the appointment of vice judge, and thereupon served as acting judge of the royal court of appeals continuously until 1886. He was then appointed associate justice of this court, of which he has continued a diligent and honored member up to the present time.
This court of appeals occupies in Sweden about the position that the United States circuit court does with us. It lies between the courts of instance and the supreme court.
Judge Cedercrantz is in the prime of life and health. There is no stain upon his character, and he is universally well spoken of. He has achieved a marked degree of success in his profession, rather by diligent, steady, hard work than by brilliant dashes.
For knowledge of law, ability, and integrity he stands among the first of the judges of his age in this Kingdom.
He has a fair command of the English language, reading and writing it with facility and speaking it passably well.
[Page 706]I believe the three powers are to be congratulated upon his appointment, and I have the honor to strongly recommend the acquiescence of the United States therein.
I have, etc.,