The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-01-31
WHITNEY TALKS.
NE sUaaEaTs A SAMOAN POLICY FOR
THE GOVERNMENT.
Interesting Correspondence between the
atAts ARd Naval Depnrtments-fhs
haaAlaG ~ dsrmauy's Acts There.

hAnipan lhlandh
Hon H. A, HabeTL 0air@mi
hiR-I have Tho honor 10 acknowledge
tho reelpt Of your lettsr Of January gath,
IN which POu requeal that there may DO
transmitted 10 tho naval committee of tho
House recent reports from tho officers OF
the vessels stationed al the Samoan
islands showing tho condition OF
tho tLinga, aud tho request VI tha
department for tho announcement Of "a
definite policy referred 10 by mo IN my let
TOR Of the 2Sd, aa part u tho records Of tho
department There arc 70 later reports
than those, oopies Gi which were trans
mitled 10 Congress In q message Of tho
president Of January Ia 1916, printed Ia
Executive Document, No, or of tho Senate,
The communication NJ tho department 10
tho secretary Ui stats In reference 10 tho
announcement Of q definite policy II con-
taiued IN u lotnr, a copy u which Ii en-
olsaed,
Your letter also contains tho following
requeatt ~ should BIO glad 10 know II any
further enlargement Of tho appropriations
VI your department should be made In
ylew NJ ealallng conditions This Inquiry
upon lh face, seems TO put upon the do
parlmCnt tho responsibility N estimating
Tor possible conditions arising out OF con-
ditI0ns which II cannot anticipate,
Until u decision u reached US 10 the poll
10y Of this government regarding tic indie
pendenoo Of tho samoan group 0f lnlands
no judgment can DO formed upon tho SUBJ
iuct Of possible expenditures Up u tho
present time tho department 10 not aware
| that We have had any national policy upon
tho subject Neither the Monroe doctrine
nor any other expression Of na'
tl0nal policy h understood 70 mp
ply 10 tho islands Of tho Pacific,
Ono by ono they have boon mkon Without
Interference from ~ II thore IN 10 bu no
now departure aneutlng this group OF U.s.
lands conceive that tho department II
quito able now 10 pcrinrm every duty ari7'
inF ont Of existing conditions, unlefn
there II q conflict between tho policy NJ
this government and that OF some other
power differences will doubtless ho
%hprmoulrcd, aud no extraordinary oxpen'
dllut' will bo called Tor
Having brought all tho oIroumNtlneoa
speciality within tho observation ol luis
| department, seeming 10 clll Tor definite In
alnrl,OUs 10 To- officers, and the whole
matter having subsequently boon laid boz
fore congress by tho tto president IL would
bu preferable tint this department should
not anticipate conditions beyond itaauthor
Ivy, Very respectfully
Secretary Of tho Navy.
Tho communication referred 10 In this
lotlor respecting tho announcement OF q
definite policy about Samoan matters, that
was addressed 70 tho secretary OF State,
reads "a iollovai
Navy DEPARTMENT,
WARRINGTON JASuAUY D, 1880,
sm-lGnol0sod herewith | send copy Of
dispatch Just received by wny Of New Heo'
land from tho captain Of tho "Nirslc," now
NJ Samoa, The department 10 able 10
scnd Immediately lwo additional ycs'
Ecls to Samoa In roypun0u 70 thia
request aud has given directions That
they DO mNdo ready 10 receive
sailing orders, aud would be- pleased 10
%htronglhon tho force NJ tho samoan Islands
BY these aud other vessels OF tho Plclll0
squadron n any useful purpose Ia to DO
served thereby n, however tho purpose
Of the German government nav made en-
tlroly clear, Imposes no duty upon tho Of
ncors Of tho squadron, "a strengthen the
naval force OF those islands would only
place tho officers under Irritating
conditions with no duty to perform, and
would, In all probability giyc rise TO
trouble, Tho Nipsio Is entirely adequate
for the protection Of our consulate, and ~
an asylum for on.rombnlUuls entitled 70
tho protection nt our government IN View
Of tho critical atuUl,Ou ui llo Sllrn1n
Islands, Il arpluB to tun department. that
tho officers OF the squadron, u further yuB'
sells are TO bo despatched, should receive
instructions Of u definite character a. to
their duty In the promises,
From the correspondence heretofore held
between the department oi state and tbo
German government, and from the reports
received from our naval oilcOra and tho
consular agency NJ tho island, II nppphra
cloar that tho conquest Of lhc1n Islands by
the German government In tho Interests Of
u commercial company rs bciug Gousumn'
tod by overt nets which aro multiplying
uuN ny uNYi lOVlN ~ Nv iNVNN' W'G '''lN'
protoxt upon which cou DO explained tho
Interference Of tho German mon'orwar In
tho contest In progress, upon tho ialand OF
Apia
lapprohcnd that tho officers ot tho navy
will not understand without definite Hd.
Vices 10 that Oliugt what their duty may
BIO under the circumstances ~ thoy arc
developed. Our untcDodcnt relations to
this group Of Islands aud to thc Sandwich
islands have been Of au exceptional oharac'
tor. and will no likely 10 give rlsu
10 doubts In the minds OF the olnccrs
as to their duty under c~Sloting conditions
On thoso two groups Of Islands, by treaty,
hnrbors have been reserved tor the usc of
tho nayy Of the United Blatos, and M 10
tho samoan group, the three governments,
Germany, Great Britain and tho United
States, have up To recent date acted to-
gothor upon the theory ol mutual oo'opcra
ton IN preserving autonomy Of the people
Of the Samoan llnnds.
A hurbor az Samoa will become OF mo.
tlonul consequence TO Us In tho future Og q
naval power, but II the Islands oro to 10
under tho domination Of Germany II would
cease TO DO Of use. Tho department has
horctossro directed tho officers OF tho
squadron to not in accordance with tho In.
struotlons which tho consular ogont NJ
Samoa shall receive from tho department
Of state, but In view Of tho later
advlcoS ard this request for an
additional toroo, the department desires to
be advised whether II ~ tho purpose OF tho
A.. 800. .-.Il... 49,.
gording the Samoan group, OF which tho
officers should DO advised.
Very respectfully,
W. O., WHITNEY
Secretary Of tho Navy.
TO ths Hon momdS n Boyard, Secretary "
StdtS Washington, d. u
urooa I'm.