The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-12
EX-CONsUL sEWALL.
He is interviewed on the
Samoan Conference.
MALTETOA SHOULD RETURN.
Scorching Secretary Bsyard - The
Rights OF the United States Cur
tailed-Germsn ActioE-Etc.

WARRINGTON, February IL DIR.
sewall. late consul general at Samoa
talked freely, to-day, in regard to the
proposed Samoan conference at Berlin.
Among other things he said: 81 con-
slider the genesis of the conference it is
proposed to renew. 1t was summoned
by our Secretary of State. assembled at
our capital and acknowledged the basis
OF equality of rights of the three treaty
powers. of which we we're the first. Its
object was the preservation of the
autonomy upon which all our national
and commercial interests in Samoa de.
pend. While the Conference was yet
unconcluded. with no notice to this
government, German ships came to
Samoa and took possession of the
islands, in violation of the understand
ing on which pending negotiations
were proceeding. If the conference is
TO be renewed at all, it should be
renewed under conditions as favorable
to US as to those which atten ded the
iniation. The status ante COM ereDdlm
should be first restored ond Malietoa,
for whose deposition
WE ARE MORALLY RESPONSIBLE,
should be returned from exile, and
it should meet here, where it was inter
rupted and where our representative
would be free from the peculiar in
fuences now at work at Berlin. But
were the suggestions of Bayard in his
letter to the German minister made
conditions precedent to the reassem-
bling of the conference, we might even
then enter upon the conference with
something of eur national dignity
saved. Bayard suggested a truce in
Samoa; he did not insist upon it. The
position maintained in the conference
by Bayard has not, believe, been crit
icised That the Independence of the
islands should be maintained and the
equality of rights of commerce and nav
igation seeured for the subjects of the
treaty powers, was agreed upon. Our
rights are not enlarged by this, but
only confirmed, and having secured
this recognition of our rights, Bayard
rested, and it is because of this pending
conference that be submitted to the Vio-
lation of these rights. That has
BEEN CRITICISED
even by Bates, upon whose recon-
mendation Bayard's entire contention
was based.s Bsyard did not resent this
action Of Germany, accompanied as it
was by the ruin of our trade and
outrages upon our citizens and flag, as
bad as were those who have recently
stirred the country. 1t is because he
has suff red the violation of those
rights which he was the first to clearly
assert, and because thus that our
prestige has been irretrisvably weak
ened in the Pacific, that Bayard is
criticised. Had Bsyard, through the
President, called the attention OF Con-
gress and the country to this
GERMAN ACTION,
the same sentiment which is now
aroused would long since have averted
the distressing condition of affairs that
now confsonts US in Samoa, and rem
ders difficult but at the same tine ne
cessary further negotians. Nobody
desires war which is not necessary,
nobody proposes annexation"
Sewall was asked if he knew any
thing of Mr.. Clemen, our charge daft
flares at Berlin, who is. it is stated
to conduct our negotiations. He re-
piled: "I do not, only that Prince
Bismarck speaks highly>of him.