The Samoan difficulty is settled, though not precisely in the
way originally reported. The British Government, with the approval, it is understood, of the United States, retires from Samoa altogether, the islands of Upolu and Savaii fall- ing to Germany in full sovereignty, and that of Tutuila, which contains the splendid harbour of Paugo-Pango, to America. In return for our concession we are acknowledged to be sole possessors of "the Tonga iiilande "—that is, Practi-
cally of the whole Friendly group—and of Savage Island, to both of which Germany had pat forward claims. Germany also cedes to Great Britain Choiseul and Isabel, the two Eastern islands of the Solomon group, a concession desired by the Australians ; settles a dispute about the hinter- land of the Gold Coast ; and promises to abandon her claim to extra-territorial jurisdiction in Zanzibar whenever other nations do the same, which ought to be soon, as they have no subjects settled there. Upon the whole, neither party has gained anything ; but the Germans are delighted, as they believe in the value of Samoa, the Americans keep the only advantage they wanted, and the English, besides acquiring clear rights in islands where their rights were doubtful, get rid of an irritating condominium. The only objectionable feature in the transaction is that the Samoans would probably have elected us by plebiscite, they dreading German severity, but as we were not sovereign over them we are not abandon- ing attached subjects.
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