Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr. Olney.
Newport, R. I., September 27, 1895.
Sir: It will be within your recollection that the late Mr. Gresham, in a note addressed to me under date of the 24th of April, 1895, signified the willingness of the United States Government to defray one-third of the expenses of the further survey required to complete the work of the Samoan land commission. It had been similarly agreed that the remaining two-thirds of the cost should be borne by Germany and Great Britain, respectively, and instructions in that sense were accordingly issued to the Imperial and British consuls at Apia.
From a dispatch addressed to Her Majesty’s Government by the British consul, it now appears that although the United States consul-general had received instructions in that sense, he had declined to act upon them until he had further communicated with his Government. This attitude seems the more to be regretted as it must cause considerable delay in the commencement of the work and may defer the period of its completion until next year.
In these circumstances I am instructed by Her Majesty’s Government to inquire whether you would be disposed to repeat the instructions already sent to the United States representative at Apia.
I have, etc.,