The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-30
BISMARCK, BAYARD AND SHERMAN.
The German chancelIor's Side Of the
Samoa Case.
Secretary Bayard's Presentation Of
the American Position.
MIR. Sherman's ForcIbIe Statement
Of the Present Situation.


Of the Present Situation.
BALTIMORE, Nd, Jan 29.-The Sun will
say tomorrow in special dispatch from
Washington THAT Of the various documents
transmitted by the President TO Congress ex-
planning the Samoan complications. the let
ter OF Bismarck to Baron Won Zedwitz of
the German legation at Washington In
November, 1887. apd the reply of Mr.. Bay
ard In January, 1888. are perhaps the most
interesting, presenting in a clear and in
teresting way the respective claims and con-
tentions OF Germany and the United States.
In his letter, Bismarck complains Of the
snti- i-German attitude observed by the Amer
lean Consul-General at Apis, Mr.. Sewall.
during the Germans action against Malietoa,
and Of his predecessors whenever the Ger
mans had previously endeavored to obtain
better protection for German subjects, and
their commercial interests. He says: "The
reports Of our representatives in
Apa the last seven years repeated
American colleagues show tendency to in
terfere with our relations to the Samoan
government and imbue the latter with dis
trust OF Germany. Germany's endeavors to
establish order on those islands have, with
out exception, met the opposition of the
American consular representatives, At the
outbreak In 1881, when the commander Of the
German ship Move, on the requisitiOn of the
German consul at Apia, and in agreement
with the Samoan government, and the NUM-
cipal administration, occupied Apia to pro-
tect the foreign settlement, the American
consul, DIR. Dawson, protested and caused
the editor OF the Apia paper to publish inju-
rious statements against the German vice.
consul and the commander Of the ship Move.
American Consul Canisius, has been pointed
out as the author OF the two Insulting letters
Malietoa addressed to the Emperor, in 1885.
Mr.. Greenbaum made opposition to the Ger
man representative In everything, enc0urag-
ing at the same time Malietoa. He arbitra-
rily announced In proclamation an Ameri-
can prOtect0rate over the Samoan islands,
and hoisted the American fagEover the
Samoan flag, proceeding disavowed by his
government.
".n view of the friendly relations which
have continued undisturbed for more than a
century betweenl Germany and the United
States, ii Is remarkable that on that remote
realm OF Islands, where neither America nor
Germany has political interests to defend
we are exposed to the continued i'll will of
series of American representatives. Com
merclai considerations cannot account for it,
as the imports in Apia Of American mer-
chants for 1885 amount to $4,000, and Ger
man 500. 900. German experts were $780,
600. and American $4,000. The only large
American firm In Apia Is under the manage
ment OF two Germans, the American partner,
who lives In San Francisco, having lately
Withdrawn. German firms have established
outside of Apia 90 commercial stations, and
the American firms not one. German firms
in Apia owned in1885, 21 ships for trade In the
South Sea. and the American firms none
The subjects of the Empire had brought, by
QVstpmatieal establishments af nlans
tations, 1885 acres under culture. Ameri-
can plantations do not exist. The
houses and property owned by German sub
1ects represent S175, ,765; those of American
citizens, $32, 900. Germany has never used
this mercantile .preponderance to secure
commercial privileges as the United States
recently did in Hawaii by ratification of the
latest renewed reciprocity treaty Of January
80, 1875. We have always maintained the
principle Of the equality Of the rights Of the
nations IN Samoa. and never asPired to polit-
ical advantages. Moreover on the occasion
Of the latest action against Malietoa, con-
tinuati0n of whose government was inc0m-
patlble with our dignity, we gave the Eng
hsh and American governments assurance
that 1t was not our intention to change any
OF the relations Of the treaty powers in Sa-
moa. Ii we are therefore to find in the facts
themselves any reason that could explain
the continual i'll will shown towards us in Sa-
moa by American representatives Of the past
auu pftSeuts anu SnOuIu De Lnanklul 10 MI.
Bayard II he would lend me his assistance in
the investigation and should my sup
position be. right that these difficult
ties have their origin in the per-
sonal disposition Of the American
representatives in Apia and their instruc-
ti0ns, am convinced that the American gov
ernment will cause the necessary redress to
take place."
In his despatch to Mr.. Pendleton, Secreta-
~ Bayard resisted the contention that the
troubles in Samoa were due to the acts Of
american e,onsuls. and presented counter
He reviews the various diplomatic negotia-
tiOns, aud saws: This government has
manifested in the most unmistakable manner
its desire to avoid all possibilities of differ
ence with the other treaty powers in Samoa.
1t has been actuated not by the idea of COM
mercial interest but by benevolent desire
to promote the development and secure the
independence of one of the few remaining
independent territories in the Pacific. Had
the United States entertained any de-
signs OF territorial aggrandisement or
political control in Samoa, they could
have been accomplished with much satisfac
tion TO the natives and little opposition, long
prior to the date Of either the British and
German treaty. A widely different policy
has guided the action of the United States.
and Its example has led to similar course
and similar acknowledgment Of native in
dependence in that island by Germany and
Great Britain"
Mr. Bayard also gives his version of the
many, Great Britain and the United States,
In Washington, in June, 1887, and says:
when the conference was suspended in
July last, until the autumn, it was done with
the concurrence of all the members, and
solely for the purpose of enabling the repre-
sentatives OF Germany and Great Britain to
consult their respective governments. No
intimation was then given that the statu quo
would be changed"
Mr.. Bayard quotes expressions Of the
British and German representatives to this
effect, and also shows that the guarantees to
be demanded from Samoa and men
toned by Bismarck and the German
minister, whenever explained have been
found virtually to involve a foreign control
In that government as was proposed in the
German.Samoan convention Of 1884, and also
in the plan presented by the German minis
ter in the conference upon the ground of the
weakness OF the native government. 1T
cannot be doubted III the government were
administered by any treaty power the island
would be governed more nearly in accord
ance with the forms Of civilized states, and
order would be better assured. But for the
very reason that the native government Is
weak, it has seemed all the more clear to the
United States that the control Of the Islands
by any strong foreign power or its represen-
tatives would defeat the great object of Sc
SuIlns natNO inuepchuehce anu hu-
tonomy and the practical neu-
tralization of the group. The islands
would inevitably become a colony Of the
foreign power by which the government was
administered. Owing doubtless to her COM
mercial preponderance, to Germany the
primary object has seemed to be the estab-
lishment Of stronger government. To the
United States the object first in Importance
has seemed the preservation Of native indie
pendence an6 autonomy. And so regarding
the matter, this government has been COM
PEELED to dissent from the propositions which
seemed to subordinate all other eonsidera-
tions to the strengthening Of German COM
and correspondingly diminish, if not entire
ly to destroy, the probability Of a Samoan
government and Of the naturalization Of the
group at least in respect to the powers now
Immediately concerned"