The morning news., 1889-01-30
BISMARCK AND BAYARD.
Documents Which Show the Conten'
tions of Each.


patch from Washington:
OF the various documents transmitted by
the President to congress explaining the
course Of the department of state in Sa-
moan complications, the letter of Prince
Bismarck to Baron Won Zedwitz OF the Ger
man legation at Washington, in November,
1857, and the reply of the secretary through
Minister Pendleto in January, 1885, are
perhaps the most interesting as present.
ing in a clear and interesting way the re-
spective claims and contenti ms of Germany
and the United States.
ALETTER FROM BISMARCK.
In his letter TO Baron Zedwitz, Prince
Bismarck says:
You have already been instructed on a former
occasion to draw the attention of the Secretary
of State, Mr. Bayard, to the anti-GerInan atti-
tude observed by tue American consul general
at Apia, Mr. Sewell, during our action against
the Samoan king, Malsitoa. We have had a
similar experience with the predecessors of Mr..
Sewell on all occasions whenever we endeav-
ored in view of the unsettled state of affairs on
| the Samoan islands, to obtain better guarantees
for tho protection of re-living German sub
| jects and their commercial interests The re-
ports of our representatives, of Ap!a Of the last
! seven years repeatedly contain complaint that
| their American collea CUES show a tendency to
| interfere with our relations to the Samoan gov
| ernme t and to Undue the latter with diStrust
| OF Germany. The endeavors made by Germany
| in the interest of the establishment OF lawful
and orderly condition Of affairs on those islands
| have, without exception, met with the opposi-
| tion of the American consular representatives.
| At the outbreak of hostilities among the
natives in 1881, when the commander of his i'm
! perial majesty's ship Move, on the requisition
of the German consul at Ap.a, and in agree
| ment with the Samoan government, as
well as with the municipal admnstra-
| tion, occupied Apa in order to pro-
| tect foreign settlement the American con-
! sui Dr. DAVIS IN, protested against that meas
| ure, and caused the editor of an Apia paper,
! with whom he was con ected by friendship, to
| publish a series o articles containing injurious
| statements against the German vice consul and
| the commander Of his imperial majesty's ship
Move.
COMPLAINTS AGAINST oANIsUs.
! The American consul Canisus has been re-
| ported to us as the author Of two letters which
| Chief Maleitoa addressed 10 his ma jesty the
| emperor under date OF May 13 and p, 1885.
! These letters contained compl lluts with regard
| to the imperial representative in Apia, a de
mand for his recall, and an insulting crItlque Of
| German military measures. T1e success or of
| Consul Canisus, Greene Baum, made opposition
| to the German representative in everything,
| encouraging at the same tim3 Chief Male.toa in
| his provoking attitude toward Germany. lie
| arb trarily announced in proclamation issued
| May ID, 1886, an American protectorate over
the Samoan Islands, and noiSted, ms q sign there
| of the American flag over the Samoan flag. a
| proceeding which was disav wed by his govern
| ment The encroachments of the present rep
| resentative of the United States in Apia have,
| as you know, repeatedly given occasion TO me
! to complain of his conduct TO Secretary Bayard.
In view of the friendly relations which b ave
| continued undisturbed for more than century
| between Germany and the United States it is
| remarkable that on that remote realm of island,
| where neither America nor Germany has any
political interests TO defend, we exposed to
| the continued i'll will of a series of American
| representatives There are no local CONNER
| cial rivalres which could explain such fact
GERMAN PREPoNDERANCE.
| The letter then goes on to say that the
l i. l., 4 e
| siderable cOmmerci al success on the Samoan
Islands, and gives statistics of German and
| American trade and population, showing
| heavy prepOnderance of German interests,
| and then proceeds:
| Germany has never made use of this mer-
| camille preponderance of her subjects in Samoa
| to secure commercial privileges, as the Unit ed
| States have rece Ity done in Hawaii, by the
| ratification of the lately renewed reciprocity
| treaty Of Jan. Sc, 1875. We have always main
| tanned toe principle of equality of rights OF
| tiOus in Samoa and never aspired to political
] advantages. Moreover, on the occasion of the
| latest action against Maleitoa, continuation of
| whose government is Incompatible with our
| dignity We have given, tefore the deposition Of
| said chief, to both the English and America
| governments, assurance against which no
| doubt has been raised, that it is not
| our intention TO change anything with
| regard TO the relations of the treaty
powers to Samoa. fail, therefore, to find In the
| facts themselves any reason that could explain
|
| by the American representatives Of the past,
| and of the present. and should be thankful to
| Secretary Bayard IL he would lend me his as
sjstauce in investigation OF this strange fact.
| Should my suppositon be right that those diff
| fcultes have their origin in the personal
| disposition of the American representatives in
| Apia and not in their instructions | am
| convinced that the American government
| will cause the necessary redress to take place.
| II cannot be conceived that consular officers
who do not respect the limits Of their task, and
rbna bKyf h ir 90 md Nifh In
| ternational ill-feeling (verst immung) between
countries entertaining friendly relations so each
other act in the sense of their government with
| which Germany since the foundation or the
| American union. has been connected by tradi-
| tional friendship We come, therefore, readily
to the conviction that it will suffice 70 submit to
the attention of his excellency the Secretary of
| State a coherent view of the attitude observed
| by diferen American consuls In Samoa in order
to be enabled TO hope for redress OF a misnnder-
| standing which has no foundation IN actual re-
ciprocal friendly relations.
SECRETARY BAYARD's ATTITUDE.
In his dispatch to Minister Phelps, Secre-
tary Bayard resisted the contention that
| the troubles in Samoa were dus to the acts
| of the A uerican consul, and p esented
counter charges against Germany's repre-
sentatives. he reviews various diplomatic
negotiations and SAYS:
This government has manifested, in most
| unmistakable manner. its desire 10 avoid all
! DOSSiOintleS OF QiIefenCe WIN OLneT treaty
| powers in Samoa, alike by its action IN respect
| TO itS consular repreSe ltatlon there and by ex-
ere So Of its moral influence TO dscounteuance
| and prevent native disSensous which. as suming
| the form OF dsaffection toward the existing
| government, have stood as a constant invita-
! ton and incentive tof which interested foreign
! ers in the Stands have not been slow 20 avail
! themselyeSl 10 intrigue with the native factions
! to obtain commercial and political gu
! prcmacY. This policy IL has pur
| sued with consistency and good faith, actuated
! not so much by the idea Of any present or
| probable future commercial interest In that
! quarter of tne globe IN watch the Islands In
! question lie as by a benevolent desire 70 pro-
! mote the development and secure tae indepen-
| dence of one OF the few remaining independent
| territories and autonomous native governments
! Ia the Pacific ocean. Had the government OF
the United States entertained any designs Of
territorial aggrandizement or Of political con
accomplished IL is believed with
! much satisfaction to the natives and
! with little opposition from any OF them long
prior 10 the date OF either the British or German
| treaty. Bat another and widely different policy
| has guided the action Of ths United States In
| re spect TO native communities in the Southern
| Pacific, and Il Is not, | apprehend claiming TOO
! much credit for this government 10 express the
| opinion that the example IL exhibited Of treat
| ing with samoa as an independent state led to
| a similar course and similar Acknowledgement
OF native Independence In that island group by
Germany aud Great Britain.
THE CONFERENCE At WASHINGTON.
Secretary Beyard also gives his version Of
the conference Of tue representatives. OF