THE TUTANEKAI MADE USE OF.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 90, 18 April 1899, Page 5

THE TUTANEKAI MADE USE OF.

SHE SAILS FOR SAMOA THIS AFTERNOON.

Auckland, This Day. The Government steamer Tutanekai leaves for Samoa this afternoon with the despatches for Admiral Kautz. She is expected to be back here in twenty days. Captain Post is to place the vessel at the disposal of the British Consul on her arrival at Apia. Baron Speck de Sternberg, the newlyappointed German representative on the Samoan Commission, has had several years' experience in the Diplomatic Service. He belongs to an old and noble Saxon family, and was originally a soldier, having risen to the rank of Major in the Saxon army, but, being desirous of entering upon a civil career, he obtained the post of Military Attach.9 to tho German Legation at Washington. Later he was' transferred in a similar capacity to Pekin, where he became successively Secretary of Legation and Charge d' Affaires. Baron Speck is of Scotch descent on his mother's side, and speaks English as well as, or as some of his Prussian friends aver, better than German. He has always been on the friendliest terms with the BritishAmerican officials at the places whore he was stationed, and his compatriots have twitted him with' his pro-English sympathies. The appointment of such a man to the present Samoan Commission indicates that, however Chauvinist the talk in the German Reichstag, the Government is desirous of arranging matters amicably with the British and American authorities.