Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-02

me 0paomafic correspondence between
the German and United States officials
In regard to the adsirs Of Samoa, recently
sent to the Senate by the Department Of
State, Indicate clearly and beyond the
least shadow Of doubt, that the German
Government has broken faith with the
United States in highly offensive man
ner. Bismarck and those receiving his in-
spiration, have practieed the duplicity and
deception which characterized the Italian
and Spanish diplomacy from the four
teenth to the eighteenth century, but
which no honorable statesmen nor honest
Governments will make use of in these
times. He cheated and outwitted Sec
rotary Bayard in way that reflects little
discredit on Mr.. Bayard. At the very
date Of his pretended negotiations with our
Government for an honorable and pacific
adjustment of the questions and interests
at issue 10 Samoa, he was instructing the
German Consular AID naval officers TO
exercise over the islands the extreme
measures of war to secure exclusive Ger
man supremacy and control. The official
documents completely prove that Bis
marcks participation in the conference
proposed by Secretary Bayard was but
trick To gain time for a German squadron
to reach Samoa and depose King Malietoa
before the United States could intefere,
and Secretary Bayard seems to share in
| this opinion. When Bismarck .cepted
the proposal for a conference he stated
to Mr.. Coleman, acting American minister
at Berlin, that it could not be decided
when the proposed discussion should take
place, "a' owing to the lack of telegraphic
communication with Samoa some time
must elapse before the German Govern
ment could instruct its consul there to
avoid further complications and preserve
the -tatu quo" Bismarck took the neces-
sary time for this purpose, and agreed
that the conference should begin in Wash
ington on June 25,at which time the British
and German Ministers and Secretary
Bayard were present.
These sessions lasted until July 26.
when they were adjourned until Autumn
by concurrence of all the members, with
the understanding, Mr.. Bayard says. that
the statu quo should be maintained Less
than two weeks later, August I, Bismarck
wrote to the German Minister here. say
ing that while agreeing to the adjourn
ment Of the conference 1--WE shall. if
Malietoa is either not willing nor power
full enough to give US the necessary salts
faction for the past and sufficient guaran-
ties for the future, feel obliged to declare
war on him and refuse to recognize his
government. This letter was not put in
Mr.. Bayard's hands, nor was he informed
Of this determination Of Germany until
August 20.
the correspondence shows that the
German squadron arrived at Samoa on
August 10, or only twelve days after Bis
marcks letter was written and ten dav :
before its contents were communicated to
Mr.. Bayard. 1t now appears that this
squadron was sent out soon after the con.
ference began its work and weeks before
the adjournment to autumn. The comman-
der OF the squadron could have received
no orders from Bismarck after the date
OF Bismarck's letters, hence he
must have had his instructions when he
sailed, "a there would have been no other
reason for his going. He waited at Apia.
Samoa, for three DAYS after his arrival un-
til the mail steamer left for sydney. when
there would be no means Of communities
ton with the outside world for three
weeks. He then declared war on Mslietoa.
which resulted in the Kings arrest and
deportation as prisoner to a German col
ony, where he is still held, and the setting
up Of Tamasese as king by the German
commander. This was accomplished be-
fore Secretary Bayard even knew that Bis
marck was going to declare war against
Samoa. The instructions to the German
Commander to depose Malietoa and set up
a king OF his own were given long before
the conference took recess. 1t is impos-
sible to put any other construction on
these facts with others equally strong that
the iron-handed Chancellor's assent to the
conference was cheating device to gain
time for his squadron to reach Samoa, the
date of his letter the time of its delivery af-
ter the work had been done leaving room for
no other conclusion, and the fact that the
conference was never resumed because Bis
marck said that was useless is further con-
| firmation. This il the same kind of I'M
scrupulous diplomacy which the Chancel-
lor has but too often made use of in the af-
fairs of Europe the past twenty years, es-
pecially towards the weaker nations
which he intended to insult and treat with
injustice. 1t was by just such tactics and
double-dealing that he preceded the great
war in France in 1870, though Louis Ma
poleon and his agents were equally false
and inscriptions, and were beaten in
their own game of lying and deception by
Bismarck.
Nothing can be palmer than that the
only way to meet such a course as this by
Germany is bold and determined front
by the Government of the United States.
This and this alone can save us from
future difficulties. This country with its
inexhaustihle resources and vast interests
and opportunities cannot afford to tamely
submit to insolence and wrong from an
European imperial Power whose home
situation will never allow her to resort to
the extremities with us, provided that we
are really in earnest and mean what we
say.
Lord A. Burnham, now prominent
figure in English politics. ia an int resting
figure politically and socially He is a.
consistent an advocate of Home Rule az
Mr.. Parnell. He is described as a witty
and charming conversationalist, with q
fluent knowledge of French, German,
Italian, and Spanish, and besides, he is
oil To-,