New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-26
GERMANYs GRAB At SAMOA
THE FIRST STEP IN A GREAT CAMPAIGN.
AMERICA TO BE HELD IN ooNTEMPr AND DE.
RIsroN WHILE BISMARCK GOES ON
TO WHOLESALE coNFIsoATToN
AND COLONIZATION.

AND COLONIZATION.
Tsns EdUer Of Ths rrtsume
Sir; am surprised at the accuracy with which rhs
Tribune OF the 23d inst. has penetrated certain de-
signs supposed by tho German Government 10 be held
in careful secrecy The purposes Of that Government.
SO far as the assumption of control over Samoa is
concerned, are sorcshsdowed with singular precision
But It would be a serious miscalcuiaaon TO suppose
that the schemes of Germany limited to tho pes
session OF a single small group Of tropical islands.
Their occupation is intended be only the first step
in Of the vastest enterprises projected by
| European power For moro than ten years past tho
agents Of Prince Bismarck have been diligently
gagged In perfectng plan Of colonization in the Pa
chc Ocean far reaching and enormous TO reduce
all similar modern attempts by other nations to COM
parstvey Insignificant dimensions. For the execu-
ton Of this great scheme the ownership Of strong
hold in Polynesia is an Indispensable preliminary
Samoa long ago selected the essential point Of
departure, and tho clutch of Germany having once
been fastened upon IT, nothing short OF violent meas
ures energetcally and resoutely applied. will loosen
her hold Not a thought Of surrendering the pre-
ponderance now established is entertained by the
rulers at Berlin They utterly deride the notion Of
Interference by the United stses In this part Of ha
world their contempt Is udioiousy concealed, but in
the far East the agents OF the potent Chancellor arc
free and unrestrained their expressions of nockery
One portion OF the business entrusted 10 the German
Legations in the principal Asatc states TO eradicate
every vestge of respect for America from the minds
of those to whom they accredited; and in certain
quarters they have far succeeded that an inn
porant historical occasion, the Grand Secretary, II
Hung Chang, openly declared his conviction that the
destnles of Eastern world might be overturned and
reshaped before the United States could get ready to
deliver An opinion on the proceedings. From America
the Germans fear nothing, will they be turned
from their purpose by any amount Of remonsxanco
or exhortation that we can put forward They may
affect to listen, but they are laughing at all tho
time and protest of ours win have the value OF
straw In permanently arresting their progress.
With resAct to England, they confidently rely
upon that country's undivided attention to i'm.
uortant interests in the north Of Asia They thor
oughly understand Englands morbid and exaggerated
dread of Russia, and they mean 70 profit by the TINS
agined necessity Of concentrating British operations
upon an object quite apart from that TO which the
aspirations Of Germany ard directed They believe
that England viii never permit herself to be dis
traoted from the present of her socitnde, and
that their proceedings in Samoa win be opposed by
only an outward show of dissatisfaction. Nothing
Is certain, l venture 10 afrm than that Ger
many viii hold her in the islands with deter
mined aud, II necessary, desperate tenactty. To
abandon then would be to reiinqush the most daring
and ambitious hope OF Bismarck's later life.
As TO the gigantic achievement with which the
iron -willed Chancellor would be proud 20 close hts
career do not hesitate 10 that IL has been con-
l,led more or less In detail the heads of every
German Legation existing l am equally con-
WINGED that the most absolute ignorance concerning
It would be proclaimed by each and every one Of
them Prince Bismarck has little use for dlplomsr.
lists who unsdllod In the arts OF evasion, plsusi-
BILE deception the boIder flights of which these
gro the graceful forcrunners dare say that tho
statements have here made would be received VITA
usDbounded hilsrity by His German Maiesty's rep
resentativo al Washington; yet one. II not more OK
that genteman's predecessors has contributed his
full share to the elaboration of the magnificent Orr
entail scheme. Three successive Emperois have
studied the colonisl charts drawn with anxious co.
Iicitude and admirable ingenuity by the naval and
military officers conhdentIaly dispatched, at various
periods. to the scene Of future events. They have
likewise road and doubtless approved the reports
provided by sagscoas civil officials in the East all
tending to demonstrate the practieabily of the
splendid enterprise the view Of the pros
eut ruler may be, it Is beyond dispute that the pro-
ject VIII not bo abandoned so long as the name Of
bismarck continues powerful In the administration
of Cermany's foreign policy. Accidents may rsiasd
It, grave necessities may interrupt its stssdy -