Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-06
BATES ON BISMARCK.
Opinion of One Who Knows
Whereof He Speaks.
NO BERLIN BUSINESS IN OURS.
Germany Must Simply Back Out
and Let the Status Quo Be
Quietly Restored,
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD


WASHINGTON, February 5.-George H.
Bates, late United States Commissioner
to Samoa, was to-day asked by an Asso-
ciated Press reporter what, in his opin-
ion, would be the probable effect upon
the policy of our Government of Prince
Bismarck's recent orders to the German
consul at Samoa, and the commander OF
the German feet. He said:
81 do not see why the more recent dis
patches from Germany should affect the
attitude of the United States. The proc
lamation of martial law and the assump-
ton of the direct administration OF affairs
in Samoa by the German Consul, which
are now reported to have been dis
countenanced by Prince Bismarck, were
not the gravamen of the troubles
here which excited the attention OF
the President and Congress. The inter-
position of Congress was invoked by pre-
yious aggressions of the local German
officials and residents there, in disre.
gard of the understanding expressed and
implied, upon which all our negotia-
tions with Germany have proceeded,
and the evident disposition OF
that power to absorb the group
without further consultation with
the United States. With respect
to these matters, there is, as yet, no
sign of any concession unless it be the
proposition published this morning for
a conference at Berlin. In my judgment
the restoration OF the status quo ought to
be condition precedent to any further
negotiations, and involves, among other
things, the re-assembling Of the
conference at Washington. 1t seems
to me that Prince Bismarck's proposal
to remove the negotiations to Berlin in
wolves both a slight and compliment to
our Secretary of State-a slight because
he was Our representative here, and
could be present as such nowhere else;
a compliment because it would indicate
that in the conference, the proceedings
Of which are, as yet, Unpublished,
he excelled in diplomacy the German
and English representatives combined.
But even if Germany's disclaimer were
broad enough to cover the whole subject
matter involved in the Presidents COM
munication to Congress, past experience
warns us not to be too quick in relying
upon assurances from Berlin as indicat-
ing the course of events in Samoa.
Successive violations by the German
local officers in America of assur-
ances made to this government indicate
either gross insubordination, contrary to
all our notions of German discipline, or
else that some understanding exists by
which the consul there is authorized to
act on his own responsibility according
to his views of the necessities of the
case, ard to exceed his instructions as
reported here"
"What do you think of the declaration
of war by Germany against Samoa? ?"
"The persecution seems to me utterly
inconsistent with the restoration of the
former status. If Germany goes to war
in Samoa it will be useless to have any
conference at all. OF course Germany
can ultimately drive the Samoans into
the sea and take the island by conquest.
This would be no less the destruction
of Samoa's autonomy than if it was done
by gradual encroachments. If we con-
fer, we should insist on an absolute halt.
If we consent to less than this, We may
as we'll wash our hands of the whole
business and abandon all idea of pre-
serving the neutrality of the islands,"
When asked If the newspaper reports
are true that part of his report on Samoa
had been suppressed in the copy fur
nished Congress, Mr.. Bates said the
query would be better answered when
the report was published. If such sup
preston were made, he would feel at
liberty to comment on the matter.