Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-03
Fhe Samoan Difficulty Ventilated BY the
Senate.

OUR FOREIGN POLICY,
Fhe Samoan Difficulty Ventilated BY the
Senate.
lCopy1et, 1ssS, by he California AssociateT PysssI
WASHINGTON, April 2d.-The President
sent to the House to-day, in response to
Morrow's resolution, huge bundle of
correspondence between that department
and the Governments of Germany and
Great Britain relative to the treatment of
American citizens in Samoa. This corrs-
spondence forms an interesting chapter in
the diplomatic history of the country, and
one that is apparently not calculated TO add
luster to Secretary Bayard's administration
OF the affairs of State. This correspondence
Will, In all probability, afford basis for
congressional inquiry. or discussion at
least, in which the Republicans will seek
to make as much political capital as possi-
ble..
BISMARCK PoKES TIE EAGLE
The most notable feature of the CORE
spondence is the arrogant manner in which
Bismarck takes this Government to task
for presuming- to interfere with Germany's
action in virtually assuming protectorate
over the Samoan Islands. He demands
redress from this Government for what he
terms the unfriendly attitude OF American
Consuls, past and present, at Apia, toward
the German authorities on the Island.
In letter addressed to Baron Ledtwitz.
Secretary of the German Legation, Novem-
Der Is, 1887, Bismarck laid down the law,
IS he desired it expounded to Secretary
Bayard, IN no uncertain manner. He be-
gins his letter by saying that the reports
from the representatives of the Empire at
Apla show that for the past seven years
the American Consuls there have shown
A TENDENCY TO INTERFERE
In the relations of Germany with Samoa,
and to imbue the latter with distrust of the
German Government. Efforts on the part of
Germany, Bismarck says, to secure lawful
and orderly condition of affairs in Samoa,
have without exception met with the op-
position OF the American Consular officers
Bismarck gives the history of affairs on
the Islands from the time that Dawson was
appointed American Consul down to and
including the administration of Sewell, the
American representative there, and says
" In view of the friendly relations which
have existed untroubled for more than a
century between Germany and the United
States, it is remarkable that on that remote
realm of the Islands, where neither Ameri-
ca nor Germany have any political interest
i'll will of the American representatives.
There are no local commercial rivalries
which could explain such fact"
AMERICAS S INSIGNIFICANT TRADE THERE.
After explaining that, notwithstanding
the trade rivalry that exists in the South
Sea Islands between Germany and Great
Britain, the relations of these two Powers
are more friendly than those existing be-
tween Germany and the United States,
Bismarck says: The American element
has not aspired to considerable commercial
success in Samoa. The value of imports in
Apia which have gone through the hands
OF American merchants amount, according
to the statistics of the year 1887, to $92, 600.
The German imports amounted to $292, 600
in that year. In exports the German mer-
chants participated to the value of $3.50, 900,
and American merchants to the value of
S3l 600. There has been but one large
American firm in Apia-Grt nesn U.
Crawford q Co.-and that is now under
the management of the Germans, the
American partner, who lives in San Fran
cisco, having lately withdrawn"
The subjects of the Empire had brought,
by the establishment of plantations, 1885
acres under cultivation, while American
plantations do not exist, and only about
100 acres of land owned by Americans are
cultivated.
Prince Bismarck SAYS there is nothing in
the facts of the case that can explain the
i'll will of the American Consuls in Samoa.
past and present, toward the German Gov
ernment, and tells Baron Ledtwitz that he
would be thankful if Bayard would lend
his aid in an investigation of the strange
fact
BAYARD ASKED To MAKE REDRESS.
Bismarck directs Ledtwitz to ask the
Secretary of State to make the necessary re-
dress if the difficulties have their origin in
the personal disposition of American rep
resentatives on the Islands.
With another allusion to the traditional
friendly relations between Germany and
the United States, Bismark closes with the
hope that Bayard will be able to explain
all the misunderstanding.
KING MALIToA THREATENED.
In another letter Bismarck declares that
unless Malitoa guarantees his protection to
German citizens residing in the islands,
and the payment OF damages, he would
declare war against him.
BAYARD's REPLY.
Under date of January 18th last Secre-
tary Bayard addressed lettey to Minister
Pendleton at Berlin, especially in reply to
Bismarck's letter above quoted. After re-
citing the German complaints, as embodied
in this letter, Bayard says that if the United
States had entertained any desire to secure
political control of Samoa it would have
been accomplished, probably with much
satisfaction 10 the natives and little opposi-
ton from any of them, long prior 10 the
date of either the British or German trea-
ties. Such policy was not desired, the
only object of this Government being
to preserve the autonomy of one of
the few remaining native Governments
in the Pacific Ocean. The United States,
Bayard says, promptly disapproved of the
action of Consul Greenbaum when he de-
clared an American protectorate over the
island in order to counteract the disinte-
grating effects not only of prior acts of the
German Consul, DIR. Stubel, which had been
protested against by the British Consul, as
well as by Greenbaum, and which were
not altogether sustained by the German
Government.
Bayard recites in his letter the history of
treaty negotiations with the Samoan Gov
ernment by foreign Powers, and attributes
the civil connections on the islands during
the past two years to be largely Que to the
failure of the German Consular representa-
tives to give support to the existing native
Government. He points out instances of
AueriCal OoDsuldr cooperation Win thOSe
of Germany, and goes into the history of
foreign settlements in all of the South Sea
Islands.
Bayard tells the story of the conference
held in this city last June between the
British and German Ministers to the
United States and himself, in relation to
affairs in Samoa, which came to naught
because he objected to the plan proposed
by the German Government, to commit the
control of the islands to person to be ap-
pointed by the power having the pre-
dominating commercial interest there.
Long and exhaustive review of the COM
plications ending with the deposition of
King Malitoa follows, and in conclusion
Bayard informs Mr.. Mclean that he is at
liberty to leave copy OF the communica-
tion with the German Government, instead
of Count Bismarck, as would be the ordi-
nary diplomatic usage.