EVENTS IN THE PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2260, 21 September 1914, Page 6

EVENTS IN THE PACIFIC

■ > The following appeared in the Hono-' lulu. "Pacific Commercial, Advertiser" of August 15:— "In direct contrast to the strenuous' • trip made.from the same quarter of the globe, by the steamer Marania, the Oceanic Steamship Company's steamer Sonoma arrived from the Antipodes yesterday morning at daylight, reporting a serene and uneventful voyage, and 'in. touch all the time by wireless with the world's events. '■'Officers aboard the Sonoma state that the steamer Marama was reported several times on the way to' Honolulu. One of the. officers of the Sonoma stated yesterday that after the vessel left Pago Pago she was followed by. the steamer Marama. The vessel, it was stated, would pull up at night within ten or fifteen miles of the Sonoma, with all lights out, and would continue in this position until daylight. She would then slow down and drop out of sight during the, daylight hours. This was repeated on several occasions during the trip here from Pago Pago. "No sign of the. German oruiser Cormorant was seen.' in.Samoan waters. Tho movements of this vessel, which is the station ship for' German Samoa; could not be learned. All of the treasure belonging _to German residents and business houses of Samoa has been transferred to a small German Government vessel called the Stad Secretary Solf, where it is locked in strong-boxes. The vessel is lying in the neutral waters of Pago Pago Harbour. The quarrel in, Europe may revive interest here, (which was waning) in the peace or arbitration treaties of a now kind which our Government haß been negotiating (says an American correspondent). Twenty of them have now 'been signed. They are sometimes called "breaching spell" agreements, because they provide for delay when sharp and menacing controversies arise The signing Powers bind themselves to submit to an international commission, or five persons, for 'examination and a report, any dispute which cannot be adjusted by diplomacy, and to take no hostile step during the inquiry, which, it is understood, will consume about a year's time. A majority of the agreements are with countries in this hemisphere, but-Swit-zerland, Turkey, and Norway are in the list, and similar treaties are being considered by Great Britain, Franco, and Germany. Those already signed were sent to the Senate last week (at the end of July) for ratification, but it is 6aid that action upon them will not be taken until next year. The pending treaties- with Nicaragua and Colombia will also go over to the next session. The agreement with Colombia gives her 25,000,000 dollars for the loss of the province of Panama. Ex-President Roosevelt, whose anger was excited by it, as ho was really responsible for the secession of the province—the grand canal passes through it, and it is now practically under our control—demanded last week that the_Senate Committee should summon him as a witness and hear what ho wanted to say. But the committee is not inclined to satisfy his-demand. The chairman remarked that the ex-President was at liberty to write his defence in a letter, or to make it public in a speech, delivered on tho step? of tho Capitol,