Telegram Herald

NOT A PRINCELY PRESENT
Uncle Sam's Gift to the Samoan Government.

Washington, Nov. 8.—After the Navy Department had recovered the pay master's safe and other valuables from the wrecks of the American men-of-war lost in the hurricane at Apia, Samoa, the wrecks themselves were given to the Samoan government. The gift has proved to be a white elephant to King Malietoa according to the information received here. There were no appliances on the island to raise the wreckage, but after many inquiries a San Francisco firm was found which undertook to recover the parts of value, on condition that they were to be sold in San Francisco and the proceeds divided equally between the wreckers and the Samoans. Months were spent in the work of recovering the wreckage and it was finally made ready for shipment to San Francisco. At this point, however, an obstacle was encountered. The collector of customs held that the treasury department had sustained that opinion, on the ground that although the wrecks are those of American vessels the deed of gift to the Samoans made them foreign and therefore dutiable property. As a close computation shows that the duty imposed would exceed the sum which can be realized from the sale of the wreckage, King Malietoa is not particularly grateful for the present made to his people by the United States government.