45

A.— 4v

tion issued to the great Powers a solemn protest against the proposed annexation, declaring that Switzerland could not recognize the validity of such an act, and that it was notorious that French agents were canvassing the population of Savoy on French interests.

APPENDIX X. The Agent-Genebal to the Pbemieb. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W. 31st December, 1884. As the first news which reached this country of the German annexations of the North Coast of New Guinea and of New Britain and New Ireland came from Australia, you, of course, had heard of them before any one here. The Colonial Office declare that these annexations are a complete surprise to them; at the same time, it seems difficult, for any one who has watched what has been going on, not to feel that Her Majesty's Government had ample warning of Prince Bismarck's real intentions. I believe that, upon the news being received here, orders were sent to the Commodore to take possession of the Louisiade Group. Mr. Murray Smith, the Agent-General of Victoria, lately had a translation made of portions of the White Book recently issued at Berlin respecting German interests in the Pacific ; and he has been kind enough to give me a copy of it, which I now enclose herewith. Upon receiving your telegram of the 27th instant, inquiring whether the German annexations had taken place with the knowledge or consent of England, also whether the New Hebrides were threatened, and whether it would be possible to induce the Imperial Government to take Samoa and the Tonga and Harvey Isles, I went over to the Colonial Office. But my doing so was, after all, only a form. I have just said that the Colonial Office deny having known the intentions of Germany: and they will be as incredulous respecting the French flag being hoisted at the New Hebrides. For my own part, I think we are fast losing the last chance there has been for a long time in regard to 'that group; and, as for Samoa and Tonga, if there ever was any chance of getting them at all, it has disappeared in face of the series of events which have slowly but surely been estranging Germany from England ever since the failure of the Egyptian Conference last August. I received last night your second telegram, directing me to urge most strongly on the Colonial Office the annexation of Samoa and the other Islands, and, in compliance with your instructions, I shall send in a letter accordingly; but I feel so absolutely certain of nothing being done, that I have thought it right immediately to telegraph to you to that effect, without waiting for any official communication. You will long ago have seen from my letters that, for my own part, I have felt sure that Her Majesty's Government would refuse to take any of the Islands of the Western Pacific, except the south coast of New Guinea, unless all the Australasian Colonies showed themselves to be thoroughly united about the policy to be pursued in that region. Instead of union, however, there has been nothing but division among ourselves, although it was clear all along that there was at least one man who knew his own mind, and that was Prince Bismarck. Nor is this all. The bad news of these German annexations will be embittered to you by the information I have, unfortunately, also to give, that the negotiations relating to Eaiatea and Eapa, so often referred to by me, have come to a disastrous end. Everything is given up by England, and France gets Eaiatea without any real concession in return. I have been repeatedly pressed from Paris to go over there in connection with that business; but I had no confidence about what was going to happen, and did not choose to be involved in it. The French negotiators, as a matter of course, declared they would not hear of giving up Eapa ; whereupon the English negotiators seem to have yielded at once. I hear now that Eapa is to be had, provided the New Hebrides are given up; but, at any rate, it can probably be only had now on that condition. I have, &c. The Hon the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

GERMAN INTERESTS IN THE SOUTH SEA.—A COLLECTION OF DOCUMENTS PRESENTED TO THE' GEEMAN "REICHSTAG" IN DECEMBER, 1884.

Abstract of Contents.

Page. No. 1. Dr. Stuebel (German Consul at Apia) to Prince Bismarck, dated, Apia, Dec. 18th, 1883 (p. 1); Letter, accompanied by two memoirs, viz. one dealing with the German Trading and Plantation^ Company (p. 2), and another with Trade Competition which German merchants have to encounter (p. 5) .. No. 2. List of Settlements and Stations of the German Trading and Plantation Company, 1883 (p. 7) No. 3. Establishments of Messrs. Hernsheim and Co. in the Pacific, 1883 (p. 7) No. 4. Western Melanesia, with special reference to tho supply of labourers to Samoa; by G. yon Oertzen (p. 8) .. .. No. 5. German and Foreign Interests in New Britain; by Dr. Stuebel (Sydney, April 20th, 188-1 (P-8)

Page. No. G. Dr. BurchtoDr. Sfcuebel; Berlin, Deo. 29tli, 1883 (Despatch of a Consular Commissioner to New Britain (p. 12) No. 7. Dr. Stuebel to Prince Bismarck; Sydney, April 14th, 1884 (on the necessity of appointing a professional Consul in New Britain) (p. 13) No. 8. Dr. Stuebol to Prince Bismarck ; Apia, Sept. 2nd, 1884 (Memoir on the Political and Commercial Condition of the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, Bllioe, and Tokebu Islands) (p. 16) No. 9. Dr. Stuobel to Princo Bismarck ; Apia, Sept. 12th, 1884 (Pines inflicted by the commander of an English man-of-war upon English employees of German firms) (p. 17) No. 10. Dr. Stuebel to Prince Bismarck; Apia, Sept. Bth, 1884 (on the necessity of creating aGerman Consulate in the Tonga Islands) (p. 18)

Note.—The figures within parentheses refer to the pages of the original MSS. of which this is a copy.