Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/296

 288] FOBEIGN HISTORY. [1899.

defined in Article V. of the present convention, shall also fall to the share of Great Britain.

" IV. The arrangement at present existing between Germany and Great Britain, and concerning the right of Germany to freely engage labourers in the Solomon Islands belonging to Great Britain, shall be equally extended to those of the Solomon Islands mentioned in Article II., which fall to the share of Great Britain.

"V. In the neutral zone the frontier between the German and English territories shall be formed by the river Daka as far as the point of its intersection with the 9th degree of north latitude, thence the frontier shall continue to the north, leaving Morozugu to Great Britain, and shall be fixed on the spot by a mixed commission of the two Powers in such manner that Gambaga and all the territories of Mamprusi shall fall to Great Britain, and that Yendi and all the territories of Chakosi shall fall to Germany.

"VI. Germany is prepared to take into consideration, as much and as far as possible, the wishes which the Government of Great Britain may express with regard to the development of the reciprocal tariffs in the territories of Togo and of the Gold Coast.

" VII. Germany renounces her rights of extra-territoriality in Zanzibar, but it is at the same time understood that this renunciation shall not effectively come into force till such time as the rights of extra-territoriality enjoyed there by other nations shall be abolished."

The following explanatory declaration was exchanged at the same time : —

" It is clearly understood that by Article II. of the convention signed to-day, Germany consents that the whole group of the Howe Islands, which forms part of the Solomon Islands, shall fall to Great Britain.

" It is also understood that the stipulations of the declaration between the two Governments signed at Berlin on April 10, 1886, respecting freedom of commerce in the Western Pacific apply to the islands mentioned in the aforesaid convention.

" It is similarly understood that the arrangement at present in force as to the engagement of labourers by Germans in the Solomon Islands permits Germans to engage those labourers on the same conditions as those which are or which shall be imposed on British subjects non-resident in those islands."

The acceptance of the convention by the United States, and the friendly references made to Germany at the end of the year by President McKinley in his Message to Congress, finally removed all traces of the ill-feeling created in Germany towards the United States by the Spanish war, and the conflict between the German and American authorities in Samoa. The con- cession made to Germany by England in the convention strengthened the ties which had been established between the