Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-31
The Samoan Question Crops
Up in the Senate.
REAGAN AND DOLPH RES0LUTE.
"HumiliatiOn of the Nation WOrs,
Than Wharf.-The Oklahoma
Bill Discussed.

spoke of the treaty or convention OF
1884, between Samoa and Germany, one
which, if it had been executed, would
have substantially secured to the Ger
man government the entire control of the
islands. The extensive provisions OF
that treaty and the powers conferred by
it on Germany were entirely incom-
patible with the independence and au-
tonomy of the native government and in
consistent with American treaty rights
there. AS soon as the German fleet
sailed away, the treaty had been repudi'
ated by Malietoa as having been signed
under protest. He then came to the
point where United States Consul
Greenebaum had raised the American
flag ove- the Samoan flag in the harbor
of Apia. The act had been, he said,
promptly repudiated by Bayard, and
the repu diation announced to the Ger
man and English governments with the
suggestion as to protectorale.
Morgan stated that Bayard never CO m
mitted the United States Government tu
the position that there should be either
separate or joint protectorate over the
islands, not believing protectorate en-
tirely consistent with autonomy. Com
ing down to the conference at Washing
ton in July, 1887, Dolph spoke of the
agreement that, pending that confer
ence, the status quo should be observed,
and Morgan asked him for his authority
for the statement that the German Gov
ernment agreed to observe the status
quo. Dolph replied that there may have
been no such special agreement, but the
observance of the status quo was neces.
sarily implied.
The President sent to Congress to-day
correspondence containing an amplitied
account OF the recent events in Samoa,
the outline of which has already been
published. The President says that pro.
position for another conference between
Germany and the United States is on it's
way to Washington from Bismarck, but
the German Minister is not informed
whether it proposes continuance of for
mer negotiations or the entire reopenine
of the subject.
The Senate resumed consideration oi
the Diplomatic and Consular Appropria.
tion bills, the question being on amend.
ments affecting the Samoan Islands
Dolph said the question was one OF spe-
cial and local interest to the people Of
the Pacific Coast; that whatever might
be thought as to the propriety of a gen.
eral discussion OF American rights and
interests in the Samoan Islands. and OF
the relations of the Government of the
United States to the German Govern
ment, the discussion had proceeded SO fay
as to render further discussion desirable,
The views which he would express
would be his own individual views, and
should neither compromise the govern
ment nor receive undue attention else
where. After general description of
the islands, their productions, inhabi-
tants and commercial importance, Dolph
reviews the history of affairs since the
United States government first took an
interest in the islands, and recent occur
rences, which, he said, had involved
the United States in some controversy
with the German government. Dolph
added, that if Congress was to inter-
fere with the matter, something very diff
ferent from the pending amendments
would be required. If he were asked
what that was to be, he should say that
Congress should direct the President to
insist upon the restoration by the Ger
man Government of the status QUO at
the time of the Washington conference,
and to notify the German Government
that the United States would not permit
the Samoan Islands to paes under the
control OF any foreign nation, and that
their independent autonomy must be
maintained He saw no good reason why,
if necessary, and if requested by the Sa.
moan people, an American protectorate
should not be established over them,
"and that" he said, would be an en-
tirely different thing from Intervention
as practiced by European powers on the
continent of Europe.'
Reagan referred to the documents that
have been published on the subject, and
declared that no American citizen could
read the correspondence without feeling
humiliation to see the rights of the
United Safes brutally over-ridden and
trodden down by German subalterns,
while the German Prime Minister was
protesting friendship and a desire to
maintain proper relations with the Gov
ernment of the United States. His pur-
pose, he said, was to call attention to the
fact that the proposed amendment was
too feeble to answer the purpose. "If
we mean anything, let US signify it by
our action. If we believe we have rights
which have been violated, we should as.
sert those rights as becomes a great and
powerful nation. l am not in favor of
war. l know too we'll the calamities of
war but the humiliation of great nation
in the face of an arrogant power is worse
than war. would give the Pres.
ident power to determine what our rights
in the matter are, and power to assert
those rights in way that could not be
be mistaken. II we do this, we may
expect to maintain our rights and to see
the restoration of the status quo. would
suggest the addition to the pending
amendment of the words and for the
protection OF the rights of American citi-
zens residing in said islands, and to pre-.
serve the neutrality and independence of
their people, Then we will have said
something, but if we do not put in some
such declaration, we leave the President
exactly where he is now, in O position
where he regards himself as powerless to
vindicate the rights of the United
States"
At the close of Reagan's speech the
Senate proceeded to executive business
and when the doors re-opened adiourned
1t is understood that the secret session
was consumed in discussing the British
extradition treaty. 1t is gathered from
the tone of to-day discussion. that there
is strong disposition among a numbe