The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1899.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 530, 21 December 1899, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1899.

oA cablegram which reached the colony early in November announcing that Great Britain and the United States had abandoned to Germany any claims that they may have had to Samoa, came somewhat as a surprise and there was a feeling in some quarters that the Imperial Government in making the concession had not given due consideration to the interests of the Australasian colonies. The mail which arrived yesterday affords fuller information than was previously at our disposal. The position appears to have been as follows: Under an Anglo-German agreement entered into in ISB6, a conventional line of demarcation was laid down, starting on the North East coast of New Guinea, and extending to the intersection of 8 degrees south latitude by 254 degrees east longtitude, where it was deflected in a north easterly direction to the intersection of 15 degrees north latitude by 173 degrees 30 minutes east longtitude. It was agreed that Germany was to make no acquisitions of territory, and to give up any territory she already possessed to the east, south east and south of this lino, while on the other side Great Britain entered into a similar engagement with respect to territory lying to the west, north west and north of the conventional line. The only exception made to this arraugemen t being theSanioaalslands, the Tonga Island, Savage Islands, and any islands or places in tho Western Pacific, which are now under the sovereignty or protection of any other civilized Power than Great Britain or Germany. By the newly signed agreement the Conventional lino of 1886 has been deflected in favour of Britain in such a manner as to include all the Solomon Islands with the exception of Bougainville and Buka. In the east, south east and south of the line of 18S6 all land in the West Pacific is now British, with the exception of New Hebrides and Loyalty Islands, those are divided between Germany and the group comprising New Caledonia which is French. The, effect of the agreement has been to turn the wholo of the Western Pacific, with the ' exceptions named into British territory. We have not ceded territory in Samoa because the islands did not belong to us, and in the face of the declaration of ISS6 thero is no reason why tho surrender of our political influence should materially injure British trade. It reads as follows : " The Government of her Britannic Majesty and the Government of his Majesty the Emperor agree that the subjects of either State shall be free to resort to all the possessions or protectorates of the other State in the Western Pacific, and to settle there and te acquire and to hold all kinds of property and to engage.in all descriptions of trade and professions and agricultural and industrial undertakings, subject to the same conditions and laws and enjoying the same religious freedom and the same protection and privileges as the subjects of the sovereign or protecting State." This declaration is in no way affected by the now agreement. To Britain, as compensation for what she has given up, Germany renounces her claims over the Tonga Islands and certain concessions in Africa, on which those who appear to write with knowledge place considerable value.

Sir W. Des Vceux, who formerly held the position of High Commissioner of tho Western Pacific, in a letter to the London Times, writes:— " A consideration of far greater importance is the manner in which the settlement will be regarded in Australia and New Zealand. If stipulations have been made for the " open door," for an impartial arbitration in respect of British claims and against the establishment of convict stations, I venture to think that there have been removed all grounds for possible objection on their part. But even in the absence of these, all of which are I fear too much to expect, I hold that Australia will still be the gainer. For as the giving up to us by the United States of the harbour of Pago-Pago—the only really good one in the Navigators' group —could not for a moment be contemplated, I regard the unopposed acquisition of Tonga (where also in my time Germany had considerable interests) as in itself full compensation for our claims to the rest of Samoa, which were in any ease ulerior to those of Germany. The inclusion of the two large Solomon Ishui'ls within our sphere of influence is, moi rover, a distinct additional advantage to Australasia—not that they are likely to be intrinsically of much value to us in the immediate future, but because foreign influence is thus pushed further off from our possessions in Australia and New Guinea ; and there is also removed au angle of German pps«

sessions which intruded into ours in a manner which might some day have become very inconvenient.' 5 Tho above facts go to show that the Imperial Government has not neglected the interests of Australasia, and the cession of Samoa to Germany has removed a source of irritation between the two countries which was injurious to both.