The Washington critic., 1889-06-25
THE BERLIN TREATY.
MIR. Phelps Has Not Much to Say
About II

MIR. Phelps Has Not Much to Say
About IL.
Mr.. William Walter Phelps, Commits
.eioner to the Samoan Conference, who ar
rived yesterday, said TO New York Herald
reporter:
"I suppose you want to see that treaty.
How would you like me to send up for that
yellow bag (hc had handed II over 10 the
safe custody Of Secretary Sewell) and let
you take q short hand view of the treaty IL
containsY'
in response 10 question about the gist
OF the treaty Mr.. Phelps said
"The members Of the conference voted
ON that question, and II was decided that
we should not impart any information on
the subject before we had reported TO our
respective governments. All can say 10
that the agreement was eminently satisfac-
tory TO every member OF the conference. "
"And as to the Samoanser
ut Is especially satisfactory TO the Sa-
means, seeing that Samoa had no repre-
sentative present"
"And that is just what the American
representatives wanted, was 1t not, Mr..
PbelpsYn
ave looked particularly after the interest
OF the Samoans. Indeod,n added Mr..
Phelps, laughingly, ~ would not be at oil
surprised II they erected statues or built a
monument to the American Commissioners.
And when they get some more clothing aud
intelligence have no doubt they Will do
something like that"
Here Mr.. Waller interposed: "Inas-
much," said the London ex-Consul-G General,
who, be II noted, is Democrat, ''inasmuch
as Mr.. Phelps has succeeded In effecting q
treaty that is agreeable to all the parties
concerned, and has done It expeditiously y
and In businesslike manner, think Il
would be q very graceful and appropriate
thing for the President OF the United States
TO appoint Mr.. Phelps Minister to Ger
many"
"When the treaty Is published will its
provisions be Il surprise to the American
peoplef"
.You may ask me anything categori-
cally," was the smiling reply, shut will
answer my own way. When the country
sees the treaty IN print IL will find that It's
expectations have not been disappointed,
and It will approve of what has been DONE"
Mr.. Phelps went on to say that the Ger
man papers which were hostile to Prince
Bismarck complained at first that he was
going to give America too much--was ac-
ceding too readily to its wishes. That line,
however, of the anti-Bismarck papers did
not continue throughout the conference,
but changed after while. Then on the
subject Of newspaper enterprise Mr.. Phelps
said that the Herald correspondents had
ODthlneu everything tnht ~ was possible 10
| obtain. But German and English papers
did not exhibit the same degree of enter
| prise.
Mr.. Phelps next impaired very interest.
ing bit OF information "We began the
conference in French" said Mr. Phelps
"Every member present understood at least
two anguages--French and German. We
| Americans proposed, as every one under
stood English, that we should carry on the
conference IN that tongue. Six out OF min,
voted atllrmatively, and IL was done. Ever
the draft Of the treaty was made out IL
| English. We found that the terms were
more clear and explicit than II written IL
French. Therefore this is the first time thai
an international conference has been car
ried ON IN the English tongue. We hav,
established a precedent, and would not bt
surprised II every future conference Of tn,
kind should be carried on In English. II |,
the language OF the world"