Mr. Wharton to Mr. Von Holleben.
Washington, March 3, 1893.
Sir: The memorandum of the Imperial German legation in regard to contemplated administrative changes in Samoa, which was handed to me by Baron von Ketteler under date of the 24th ultimo, has had my consideration in light of a subsequent communication from her Britannic Majesty’s minister conveying the dissent of the British Government from the appointment of Mr. Hennings as president of the municipal council of Apia, in place of Baron Senfft von Pilsach.
The withdrawal of the suggestion of your Government relative to the simultaneous appointment of Mr. Ide as chief justice of Samoa leaves the matter as it stood at first, except so far as it has served to develop the coincident conviction of the three governments that a change in the two high administrative offices is expedient and subject to the new suggestions which the Imperial Government purposes shortly to make for the appointment of candidates for both offices.
While awaiting further proposals in this regard, I beg to suggest that, inasmuch, as Mr. Ide’s appointment, spontaneously brought forward by Germany, has already received the cordial approval of the three governments, and as the Government of the United States has no candidate in view at this time to succeed Baron Senfft, the selection of a substitute may be left in the first instance to the German and British governments, in the supposition that an agreement between them in regard to the president of the municipal council would in all probability be coupled with the renewed presentation of Mr. Ide’s name for the chief justiceship. But in any event this Government holds itself free to act upon both nominations or to suggest new candidates should occasion require.
Accept, sir, etc.,