St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-18
HIS POLICY AMERICAN.
Mr.. Bayard Seeks to Tell What He Is
Driving At.
HIS VOICE is FOR PEACE,
The Military Spirit Would Force War,
and War Means a Great Stand
ing Army.

BALTIMORE, Feb. IA Washington
special to the Baltimore Sun, based on
conversations held with Mr.. Bayard.
gives all outline of the policy which has
controlled the actions of the department
of state during the past four years. 1t
has been frequently asserted that Mr..
Bayard has had no policy, whereas he
has all along had very definite
and peculiarly American policy. He
believes that the American people have
higher and nobler destiny than that of
staggering about among the nations of
the earth ''daring" somebody. He
thinks it is their mission to
take the lead among nations in substi-
tuting Pacific methods for force in set
tling international disputes. MIR. Bay
nothing should be done to disturb or
imperil our peaceful conditions, but
that. on the contrary, the highest duty
Of the patriot is to contribute, as far as
he can, to their perpetuation and devel-
Opment. His idea is that The military
spirit is to be discouraged in republic,
except in SO far as it is necessary for
purposes of defense. Encourage
THE MILITARY SPIRIT
in this country, says Mr.. Bayar d, and
you would soon have war. A war
necessarily means an army, and if once
the military spirit got thorough pos
session of the people this army would
become permanent establishment.
MIR. Bayard. commenting on the clamOr
in certain quarters over the Samoan
episode, said: s'What is it they
want me to do? To provoke war? I
do not believe the people want to go to
war about Samoa. There is no occasion
for it. Ii they do want war they must
get another secretary of state" An
other fayorite theme with Mr.. Bayard is
naturalization of certain localities
which are useful to all the powers and
incapable of defense, without dispro-
portionate cost by any one of them. He
instances the naturalization of the
Suez canal by the common consent Of
the European powers as an example OF
the important benefits to be secured by
the application OF this principle. Some
similar arrangement would have to be
entered into to protect the interests of
this country if ship canal across the
Isthmus of Panama is built. 1t would
not be sufficient protection for the
United States to have control of such q
canal. The only
ADEQUATE PROTECTION
is to be secured by naturalization of the
canal by consent of all the powers. Mr..
Bayard sought to apply this principle Of
naturalization by international agree
ment to the Samoan islands. The
proposition that the United States
should guarantee the neutrality of
those islands, seemed to him to be un-
wise. for the reason that to
guarantee the neutrality OF an in-
dependent sovereignty, especially one
as weak as Samoa. would be to
expose this country to the constant
risk of embodiment in the relations of
Samoa with other powers. We would
be responsible for whatever Samoa
might choose to do, without the power
to regulate her conduct. 1t would be
cheaper to annex the islands at once,
for then. in assuming the responsibility
of defending them against all cOmers,
we would acquire the right to pro-
vide them with safe and stable gov
ernment. TO do this it would be
necessary TO build great Notifications at
Pago-Pago, to furnish them with q
powerful garrison and to maintain
strong fleet in the South Pacific. The
cost would be enormous, and, after all
this expenditure, American interests in
Samoa would not be as safe as under
q guarantee by the powers interested of
the neutrality of the islands. Mr.. Bay
ard looks upon the rejection of the Chi
nese, fisheries and eXtradition treaties
as unfortunate for the country, He
does not regard the action of the senate
rs Justly involving any reflection upon
the actual merit of the treaties them
selves,