The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-30
l SMALL MATTER.


Shouid the suggestion be right. and
these difficulties have their origin in
she personal disposition OF the repre-
seusatives and not IN their inssruc-
Mons. | am convinced the American
government viii cause the necessary
redress TO take place. Il cannot be
conceived that consular officers who
"a, not respect limits OF their task and
who cause by their conuuct interna-
tional ilI-feeling between coun-
tres entertaining friendly relations
toward each other, act in
the sense of their government with
which Germany since the foundation
Of the American Union has been con-
nected by traditional friendship"
In dispatch TO Minister Pendleton,
Secretary Bayarsi insisted that the con-
tention and troubles in Samoa were
not due TO the acts OF American con-
s.ils. and presented counter-charges
againsf Germany's representatives
He reviewed the various diplomatic
negotiations, and said this government
had manifested desire TO avoid all
possibilities OF difference with the
other treaty powers in Samoa Had
the government of the United States
entertained any designs of territorial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT or political control in
Samoa, there could have been accom-
piished with much satisfaction TO the
natives long prior 10 the date of either
the German or British treaty. But
another and widely different policy
has guided our nation in respect TO
the native communities in the South
ern Pacific. and the secretary thinks il
not claiming too much credit To ex-
press the opinion that the example as
exhibited in the treaty with Samoa as
an independent state, led to similar
course BY Germany and Great Britain
When the conference in Washington
in July, 1887, was suspended, il was
solely for the purpose OF enabling the
representatives of Germany and Great
Britain to consult their respective gov
ernments, and no intimation was
then given that the status quo would
be changed.
Continuing, Secretary Bayard says:
Prince Bismarck has referred in his
note TO his German minister in the
conference to the guarantees to be de-
manded and obtained from the Samoan
government. Whenever the guaran-
tees have been explained they have
been found virtually to involve foreign
control OF that governments as proposed
IN the German-Samoan convention Of
1884. and also in the plan presented by
the German minister in the
conference. The ground upon which
control has been deemed essential is
the weakness OF the native govern
ment. But for the very reason that
the native government Is weak it has
appeared all the more clear to the Uni
ted States that control of the islands
by any strong foreign power or its rep
resentatlves would defeat the great OBJ
ject OF securing native independence.
autonomy and practical naturalization
of the group. The native element.
deprived of influence in the
management of their affairs,
would quickly suecumb to
the aggressive tendencies of foreign
residents, and under these circum-
stances it stands it would inevitably
become colony of foreign power.
by which or by whose representative
the government would be actually adj
ministered.
10 the United States the object of
iirst Importance has seemed to be the
preservation of native independence,
and so regarding these matters, this
government, while not questioning
Germany's assurances of the absence
of any intention on her part to annex
or establish protectorate over the
islands, has been compelled
to dissent from propo-
sition which seems to subordinate
other considerations to the strength
ening of German commercial and
landed interests in the islands and cor
respondingly diminish. ii not entirely
destroy, the. probability of Samoan
government and of naturalization of
the group, at least in respect to the
powers now concerned"