The report of Mr. Chambers to which he refers will be found on pages 465
to 470 of Senate Ex-Doc. No. 97, Fifty-third Congress, third session,
copies of which have heretofore been supplied to your embassy.
[Inclosure in No. 357.]
Mr. Chambers to
Mr. Olney.
Washington, D. C., March 26, 1896.
Sir: I had the honor, while representing
our Government under the Berlin treaty on the Samoan land
commission, to make some suggestions to Secretary Gresham regarding
the preservation in permanent and orderly shape of the valuable work
of the commission. Reference to his reply, dated February 24, 1894,
will show how he regarded the suggestion, but as the work was then
far from complete no action was taken by the treaty Governments.
After the completion of the work, and before my return, Secretary
Gresham asked me to make a more comprehensive report of the labors
of the commission than I had forwarded from Samoa, which was a mere
statement of the conclusion of the work, accompanied by tabular
statistics. He also requested me to embody my suggestions regarding
the orderly preservation of the work, as he wished to have my report
printed along with Samoan correspondence called for by a resolution
of the Senate. This report is dated February 3, 1895, and is
printed; vide, message of the President to Senate, February 26,
1895. Subsequently the Secretary sent for me, and after further
discussing the suggestions said he intended to submit the matter to
the ambassadors of England and Germany for the consideration of
those Governments. He agreed with me that the preservation in some
indestructible form of the commission’s work was scarcely less
important than the work itself.
[Page 532]
I do not know that he did anything farther, for very soon afterwards
he died, and I presume the subject rests where he left it. I beg to
invite your attention to it now, because I have learned through
Consul-General Mulligan that the chief justice of Samoa has about
completed the work of revising the decisions of the land
commissioners. I am otherwise informed that he made a judicial
examination of every finding reported by the commission, and that he
has disagreed with the commission only on one legal point, which
affected but comparatively few of the 3,942 claims; and thus the
completeness with which the land feature of the Berlin treaty has
been carried out entitles it to the high esteem in which it is
regarded by the treaty powers. However, this is immaterial. The long
and trouble-producing land disputes are legally ended, and the
evidence of this should be preserved in the most secure and
permanent form.
Nobody can foresee what is to be the fate of these unhappy people.
“The Samoan question” is much out of proportion to its deserts, but
it exists and will probably continue. In any view of the subject the
most discordant element is now at rest, but the whole land question
would be opened again with all its evil-breeding possibilities if
the settlements as now adjusted are left in their present chaotic
and insecure condition, or worse still, if the evidence of these
adjustments should be destroyed.
It should be borne in memory that the Tamasese element, numerically,
perhaps, half the natives, continually in opposition to the
Government of straw under Malietoa, never recognized the commission
officially. Suppose the Tamasese party should oust the Malietoans at
a time when there was no foreign war ships in port? Every vestige of
the commission’s work, except the minute books, etc., deposited with
the consular board, would be destroyed.
I feel, Mr. Secretary, that in again bringing the matter to the
attention of the Department I am emphasizing a subject of no small
moment and which carries with it its own apology.
I beg to inclose herewith marked portions of my report bearing upon
this subject, and remain, etc.,
