New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-25

tails Of which i cannon speak OF, as cVhH"V"
NJ silence was imposed upon each Of tho Ministers,
! and all the information I have about IT
| Is confidential But I viii say this, that ~
would DO greatly 10 Mr. Bayard's advantage were inc
whole facts published Since then Germany has DO
| hayed worse and worse Her Samoan agents nave
deposed Malietoa kidnapped him. carried him OH
| and Il IS reported, nsulted our viceconsu to
peatedly burned our flag, made war on the nauves
| ana done great damage to our property. eome'nhs
sbouId he DONE and right away. IL is often askea'
what are the American interests In Samoa. wnaV DUST
moss of ours Is II 10 interfere why should We De Jne
IN risking war with Germany for the sake OF Samoa
| I think can answer these question: IN me nrst
| place. our honor binds us to suppork Toe cause OF
| samoan autonomy. We have pledged our Nationai
word to do It, and we are craven and false II we fall
N keen IT, In the next place. IL is immensely to our
National interest 10 prevent any foreign power nom
anuexlng these islands Out of the thousands OF POLY
| nesian islands only three groups yet remain lnuo-
| pendent These Hawaii, Tonga ana samoa.
We have already declared in most explicit terms that
undor M circumstances will We tolerate foreign do
| m.nion over Hawaii why Because as Mr. Blaine
| 60 cIevsrly expressed IT, they are tho key Of the
maritime dominion OF the Pacific" Just as they sus
tain that relation to the North Pacific Samoa sustans
| IL 10 the South and Central Pacific 1t Is our only
coallng station there 1t is of the highest consequence
not only to prevent other nations from acquiring 10
for naval and commercial 10 exclusion, but
10 cultivate the most agreeable relations with its
ra,Iva pouulafion 10 sustain them 10 educate them,
/ and 10 mako buyers and sollers Of them. We don't
want dominion beyond our coast lne but neither do
VIC want our coasts lmperiled shipping left with
| ont friendly ports and our Navy without stations Of
supply Nor do we want the Pacific to be closed to
IA AT the will OF European powers. II the people arc
not moved to resist Germany's conduct in Samoa by
those considerations It will be because their feeling OF
security osered by such long peace and by their IN
ternal resources, blinds them TO situation faught
| with the greatest danger"
A GREAT CRISIS IN OUR DIPLOMACY AT HAND
awhai do you think should be done IN this crisisl'
| sOsr duty Is plain. We should insist uDon the
| restoration Of that condition of affairs which the
C3elmlns broke up by lending announcement and
sistaIce 10 Tamasese. We should insist the right
of ts samoans 10 govern themselves 10 choose their
King and TO comport themselves politically as they
uleas. wo should insist on tho establishment Of
an Impartial land court to try the cases of foreign
| clsln1ntsR
"Yen, but We arc insisting on thcso things.
we Dtf"
sTes. In q way. Mr.. Bayard has conducted tho
Geo with great ability far II DO conducted
w. ;hpen and Ink lie has maintained it boldly and
brayly and eloquently In all It's simple strength. but
a o administration. or the Government whatever
you ,hooso 70 call that power upon whom devolves
tie atty Of action. has not supported him. This is
the lost critical and important situation that has
arise the Pacific since tho United States nterDosed
an. rTescd French and English aggression IN Hawaii
Is INST DO firmly and resolutely met We must tell
0erany what mean, and let her know distinctly
thArghen NO SAY VII not tolerate her conduct.
mea evorJ word Of rs
@hat would var wouldn't it's
60; not bit Of It. Bismarck would not fight Us
forths whole Of oceanica whose business
Is preservation Of the balance Of power on the
connent OF Europe has his hands full. But SUPPOSE
II d mean war; There thlnEs than war |
ans Of them Is Injustice and another is dshonor
AIhonorabe WHO finds himself in the situation |
wire no must either nght break hts pighted faith.
in breaking that upon thoso 10 whom it has
ben given the heaviest of nisfortunss and him
SO much loss. will choose to fight. won't hei Nations
cunot Afford 10 be less honorable than individuals,
al lot tell ny oountFymen that We OF all people.
u relations with soHth American and Pacific |
ontrioa can afford tho least TO act part |
Or National credit IS too good now II must |
onee FIR tho better ard no, for tho worse II We
tud roap tho rich harvest that awaits U.S.
q Upon whom does devolve the duty Of action. in
lbur Judgment. Mr. Bstesfs
a don't know. believe tho President has all tho
bower that the situation calls for. He sent feet
10 Hayti with Instructions to bring the Haytien
Republic they had 10 lombard Port auPrince TO gets
Ler. I confess myself much al a loss 10 see why II |
he empowered 10 90 that. no should feel himself |
poor In authority have great admiration for
Mr. Cleveland and unbounded faith in his ability and
sincerity and do not know lust what he thinks OF
this crisis. as have not recently talked with him.
understand bis policy 10 DO In limo with tho
mtpdatioDs have made in this conversation. But he
says no has gone far toward its enforcement he
feels authorized 10 20. In THIS emergency Congress
should Immediately equip him with authority
DO you consider the instructions TO Admiral
Kimberly sufficient enable him do all he should
when he reaches samoai'
or-p rAxv ,frcrrr p arv y eor v- rrrrr orrr erro,,
Assuming that the published instructions are all
the Instructions kimberly has do not how he can
do effective work I assert it as fact that each Of
the Naval commanders sent 10 Samoa within tho past
three years. had no felt authorized undor his orders
TO exercise iudloous discretion with reference 10 the
situation he found II arriving there, might easily
have arrested tho Disturbance understand they
have all been instructed 10 refrain from all Interference
on shore except for The protection Of American life
and property That tics their hands completely |
They tho Germans violating their treaty obligations
making tho natives, shelling women and
children, defying their Governments sacred promises
to but they cannot lift finger. have no doubt
that had Captain Day, OF the Mohcan. who there
with me, felt warranted to take certain action that
urged tself most warmly his Judgment the trouble
would have been over long ago, blood would have
shed, and Samoa [gould be at peaoo with Germany
II the humiating acknowledgment is 10 DO forced
upon that We have not single officer in all our
navy "nOm tho poVorhmont can uust 10 90 l,OOO
miles beyond the reach OF the telegraph authorized 10
do al! he considers necessary TO maintain dignity
our rights and our good faith according to the cir
oumstances existing when he reaches his destination
under the general instruction that the United States
will not submit TO tho violation Of Samoan autonomy
10 any settlement Of treaty relations not first sub
mltted TO our Governmental we have no such officer
say, let US mako haste to educate one It Is a
physical impossIby 10 dictate Naval officers action
at Samoa nom Washington. It would take him three
weeks to cable and got reply, and IN three weeks
the whole situation may DO given away.'
Has not the Administration been advised long ago
that the crisis now on us was immnent7n
1t Is certainly true that the present situation IS
tho necessary consequence Of events concerning which