Show PEACE IS ASSUREI Berlin Conference Will Reach A Satisfactory Settlement THE EMPEROR MUCH IRRITATE Over the Miners Strike in Westphalia Under < A Protective TariffThe Employers Are Rich the Employees Poor Copyright mISS by the New Yorft Associate Press BEUIIX May ISTho fourth session of the Samoan conference was held yesterda The meeting was called to order shortl after 3 oclock by Herbert Bismarck who has presided at all the meetings in accordance with the established caste that the highest representative of the go ernmeiit of the country in which a confe cure is held shall preside The proceedings proceed-ings were almost entirely formal They consisted chiefly in listening to the report of various subcommittees which hav e been holding daily sessions ever since tho conference met At these meetings the real work of the conference has been trai sacted and as nearly as can learned tho American committee has succeeded in carrying car-rying every important point they set otto ot-to obtain Indeed so prevalent is this feeing fee-ing in Berlin that the Berlin press another an-other influential papers in Germany complain com-plain of the success of the Americans While the greatest secrecy in regard to I the proceedings is man a ned and teret fore nothing much beyond the fact that meetings had been held was known it can now be stated that excepting the question of indemnity for the German sailors killed and beheaded by the Samoans and one or two other minor points the work of tho commission is over It is thought that tho restoration of Malietca to power is assured and that a half tripartite government in i i Samoa for which the American commissioners commis-sioners contended gainst the German plan for one representative selected by the three powers will surely be put into effect It is also more than likely that the commissio has decided in favor of the absolute tad pendencc of Samoa so soon as the people there demonstrate their ability to go alom The indemnity question is yet to come ui It may prolong the meeting some week but this is believed to bo the only point o which there is likely to be any serious contests con-tests The question of Kleins connection wit the affair iu which the German sailors were killed has never come up nor is there any likelihood of its doing so Neither will tho commission hear testimony of any kinc During the past meetings of the onferenco and commission the only points of different1 have been < between the German thE i can commissions the attitude of the Emu lisb members being neutral Their mum cnce has generally been cat with a vlc to settling the question as expeditiously as I possible They have however bee strongly iu favor of having a Protestant for King of Samoa which is thought to indicate I in-dicate tbuir preference for Malietoa wh was trained in an English Protestant co lege legeThe most important work of the conference confer-ence has been done by what is known as a i working committee consisting of Dr Kravcl assistant secretary of state for Germany and Scott and Bates and to I which Crowe and Pheips were added a advisers the first named ou account of his i i long experience in British commercial uttairs and the lastnamed because of his I lion experience in America with the tariff Mid of his experience establishing a gov sruuient out of the discordant elements in i Louisiana I The duty of this committee has been the preparation of material for the genera inference In this was a plan to settle I i disputes concerning land titles in Samoa i The German French and American inhabitants I inhab-itants of Samoa have been acquiring land so fast in Apia that little remains for tin natives and it is claimed that their titles I in many instances are doubtful as the land I I was given to them by irresponsible natives I in exchange for liquor and trifles This ammittce was also entrusted with the I work of hCttling the form of government 1 it Apia It is rumored that the plan agreed I jpon is that America Germany and England shall each appoint representatives j ind that three more members ol a board ol control shall be chosen by the rate payers mil that no liquor shall be sold to the naives I t na-ives although foreigners can have such stores as they choose in their private houses Fire arms are to be sold only bv I tho government and then only under cer I ain restrictions which prevent their use I accept for keeping the peace The plan for riving the Samoans a revenue has also been levised which provides for the reestab ishment of their right to impose import md export duties which right is taken from them by existing Samoan treaty It is understood that the representatives of the three governments have expressed heir confidence of being able to obtain from their governments this concession to I Jell the Samoans The stay of the American commissioners in Berlin is being made very pleasant They are overwhelmed WWI social attentions atten-tions from distinguished residents Oneof he pleasanfrst incidents which has oc urred was the call they made on Princj Bismarck at his request which was a special mark of consideration as the Prince being in feeble health rarely goes out or receives anyone To a representative of the Associated Pre who called on him today Mr Phelps aid concerningthe proceedings of the con erence I cannot anything but I nay say through you to America that nothing is interfering with the successful inclusion of our labors but the cry of the European press that Germany is giving up ivcrythiug This charge is persistently made and is naturally irritating our co la lorers Moreover it is not true that inu ual concesssioiis have been made Germany Ger-many is more willing than America to yield nythiug that would insure Samoan inde cndence and give the natives a better chance This is the prime impulse of the German as well as of the American delcga tiOIl ionThe best indications that the conference is nearing a successful close is found in the fact that the Emperor has invited all the members to a reception at the Schloss on londay Only u few days ago that delegates dele-gates were informed tint an audience could not be given earlier than the tilth instant alit The proceedings at yesterdays sit ting showed such progress toward an assured ured settlement on every point that Prince Bismarck has decided to expedite the re eption The Emperor impatient at the delay in ringing about peace between the miners and employers has directed the president of Westphalia to convey to the mining companies his emphatic desire to accelerate tho compromise It is reported that the resident has resigned the Emperor blam 1I1g him for allowing affairs to drift and also for sending out false alarms as to en aunters between the strikers and the mili iry Dr Hentzpetcr who is now by command of the Emperor making a tour of the strike districts in order to hear both sides is charged to warn the mine owners that the oVernment will resent their action if they fuse to grant the essential claims of the 1I1en The power of the government to take tho employers feel the weight of its ispleasure lies at hand The mine owners have obtained during recent years many favors They have secured se-cured special tariff throughout Germany and have been granted low freight rates to i Hamburg Bremen Belgium and Holland in order to enable them to i compete with English coal IK 50 privileges are readily assailable if companies contumacious While the state of the new mines is most prosperous the condition of the men is yearly more retched Public feeling is becoming more and more pronounced in favor of the men fho paralysis of the iron and steel indus tties consequent upon lack of sufficient coal intensifies the feeling of discontent existing outside of the coal district In the event of the failure of a speedy ittleinent of the trouble the government will convene a conference of the employers of the workmen under neutral president who shall be empowered to arbitrate one on-e differences In the Reichstag today when the aged workmans insurance bill came up for third reading Prince Bismarck made an acrid speech He said he was not surprised sur-prised that the Socialists the Freizing party and the Poles opposed the bill but he had not expected that the Conservatives would assume a hostile attitude toward proposals affecting affect-ing the innermost depths of the whole empire em-pire In concluding he said I wish the bill to be disposed of before the next election elec-tion for no one knows whether we shall have as much leisure next year as now |