Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-01
ItDoeSn' t Improve.
The Situation Out on the Island
Of Samoa.
GERMANY MAKING THINGS LIVELY.

DfBpAfcn 1ndt 1ntOiScS oo'ho SA''c
observation-disclosures Seavey, of the
U. s. s. Adams. Tells an Interesting
story-His Energetic Action Sort of AS
topyshes Bismarck's Forces-Undiplo-
matte But Effective Correspondence
Navy Yard Activity-Bnyard's Latest
Statement.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. kilograms re-
oeived yesterday from London were of a
rather startling nature as relating to Samoa.
They stated that the Germans had decided to
search all vessels arriving in Samoan waters
for contraband, suppressed The Samoan
Times (which may cause England to speak out
loudly, as its proprietor is an Englishman),
arrested British subject Cafterward releas-
ing him at the British consuls demand), taken
control of the police of Apia, and generally
carried matters with high hand.
The news was conveyed to the senate by a
United Press dispatch, while the diplomatic
bill was under discussion. Senator Cockrell
was presiding and he called on Sherman to
read it, and then Gray took the message
down to Reagan, and 1t was on the representa-.
tions contained in it that the Texas senator
Withdrew his amendment to the Samoan
clause in the consular and diplomatic bill.
The debate on the Samoan clause was long
and interesting, but not particularly lively.
Hale and Serman were opposed to the Reagan
amendment, as was Frye, but the latter said
the matter was not yet before the senate in
its true aspect, nor would be
until the foreign affairs committee re-
ported, which he promised would be SOON
He said the trouble was not caused by the
German government, but by German trad
ing firm The enmity of the trading firm to
the chiefs was due entirely to the fact they
they were friendly to the United States
Tamasese was only a puppet in the hands of
the firm. If he should be recognized, one of
the first acts, under the firms instructions,
would be to give notice Of the abrogatior of
the treaty with the United States, and then
the harbor of Pago-Pago would be lost
Salisbury said that if the United States did
not recognize Tamasese it would not recog-
nize his abrogation of the treaty.
In reply to a question of Stewart in regard
to what he thought was necessary TO he done
at this time, Frye said: There is not a
fourth-rate power in Europe which, if it had
been party to conference with Germany
as to the autonomy and Independence of
Samoa and if Germany, pending that confer
ence and without notice. had deliberate " or
dered her ships-of-war to violate that auto
nomy and Independence, would not have
risked its life on the demand for an imme-
date restoration of the status quo A Euro
pean power could not be found that would
not have done it.
When the London dispatch was read Frye
said that If it was true three assertions are
made by Germans in Samoa. One was the
right OF search of American vessels going into
the harbors of a nation with which we are in
treaty relations. The second was the suppress
sion of free speech. The other was assuming
the control of the police of Apia, a munich
pality which by the agreement between Ger
many, England, and the United States and
the Samoan king was made neutral ground
A dispatch was received at the navy depart
ment yesterday from Capt Mullen, com
handing the Nipsic at Apia, Samoa, which
In effect stated that the German government,
through its consul there, had issued a procla-
nation declaring martial law in Samoa
Secretary Bayard, when asked about Samoan
advices, said nothing important had been re-
ceived at the department but subsequently
acknowledged having received, through the
navy department, a copy of the dispatch
from Capt Mullen.