Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-02-07
SAMOAN AFFAIRS.


Communication From tho President d
Congress in Relation tn thu situation A
samoa Letter From Prince Bismarck
TO Count Won Arco, German Minister n
Washtngton-War Practically Declared
Against King Mataafa.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.--The President
transmitted to Congress late yesterday
afternoon message on Samoan affairs,
accompanied by number of documents.
In his message the President says:
To THE CONGRESS: 1 had the honor, on the
18th inst. to communicate TO your honorable
body certain correspondence and documents in
relation to affairs in the Samoan Islands. and
having since received further dispatches from
the Vice-Consul at Apa, and the commander of
the United States naval vessel "Nipsic," in
those waters, lose no time in laying them be-
fore you. / also transmit herewith the full
text of Instructions from Prince Won Bis
mnrck to the German Minister at this
capital, which communicated on
the afternoon of the 2Sth inst This appears
TO be an application OF prior telegraphic in
structions on the same subject, communicated
through the same channel, and which, being
set forth in the note of the Secretary of State
to Countvon Arco-Valley, the German Minister,
on the 18th instant, was duly laId before Con-
grasS with my last message in relation to Sa-
moan AFFAIRS. 1t is also proper to inform you
that on Monday, the 18th instant, the occasion
of The communication of the note of the Prince
IT. %
understand by the German Minister that
proposition from his government to that of the
United States for a conference on the Samoan
subject was on its way by mail, having
LETT Berlin the Goth instant so that
its arrival here in due course of mail can
be looked for in very short time In reply to
an inquiry from the Secretary of State whether
the proposition referred to was for q renewal of
the joint conference between the United
States, Germany and Great Britain, which was
.1nli ~, T,-Ir-
GRAFTON of Samoan affairs ab novo, the German
Minister stated his inability to answer until the
proposition which left Berlin on the Goth inst.
should have been received. I shall hereafter
communicate to Congress all information be.
fore me on all matter in relation to the Sa.
moan status.
iSiguedj GROVER CLEVELAND
LETTER FROM BISMARK.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-Under date of
Berlin, January ID, 1885, Prince Bismarck
writes Count Won Arco, the German
Minister at Washington, as follows "a
copy of which the Count left at the State
Department on January 2S):
have already notified Your Excellency that
according to telegraph communications from
Ap;a on the 18th of December last year de-
tachment of German naval forces, which had
landed at the request of the Imperial Consul
Tor the pro ection of the Ger
man settlements which were endan-
Scrcu DY the CONNECTS between the native
parties there, was attacked by armed SamoanS
belonging to the party of Chief Mataafa This
Onproyoked attack is said to have ia ken place
unier the leadership of an American named
Klein. On this occasion more than fifty Ger
man soldiers and officers killed and
wounded. In consequence of this we have been
transplanted from the territory of mediatorial
negotiations by which the Imperial Consul in
Apii was trying to reconcile the contendng
parties and for which he hid sought the coop
GRAFTON of his English and American colleagues
Into i state of war with the assalants, to our
regret. We shall carry the contest which
has been forced upon us by Mata1fa and his
followers, with the utmost consideration for
English and American interests. Orr military
measures have in View only the punishment OF
the mIrderers of German soldiers and the pro-
lection of our eountrymen and their property.
As they on their part at with
Tamasese, our interference will necessarily as
sumo the character of assistance to Tamasese.
In the endeavor for just punishment of a MUIR
derous crime we hope for the cooperation of
the treaty powers in Samoa in friendship with
us, and we ask the Government of the United
States to be good enough to furnish the con-
suls and commanders of its ships of war in Sa-
moa with suitable instructions. Our armed
forces there are instructed to avoid and to pre-
vent all injury to neutral commerce and prop
erty. ana to adopt measures OF reprisal and de-
struction only against the followers of the party
which initiated the contest against our troops
by u murderouS attack.
We shall, of course, abide by the agreements
with America and England with respect to
Samoa and pay due regard under all circum-
stances to the rights of these powers as es-
tablished by treaty.
I beg Your Excellency to bring this COM
munieation to Mr.. Bayard's knowledge by
reading it to HIM, and to leave copy with him
If he requests it.
lSignedl BISMARCK.