The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-25
NOW AT FEVER HEAT.
The Samoan Question At
tracing More Attention.
THE VICTORY A COSTLY ONE
The German Vsrsion-A Connection
in Omeial Cirslss-secrstary
BayArd Interviewed.

WASHINGTON. January "a. - Dis
patches have been received at the State
Department from the American minis
ter at Berlin, in regard to the Samoan
question. Their contents are withheld
from publicity, except some extracts
from the German newspapers, giving
accounts of and commenting on the
fight in which so many Germans lost
their lives. The previous languid tone
of the press in regard to Samoan af-
fairs was qrickened to fever heat by the
Journal. of Berlin, of the 7th instant,
which says: According to official re-
ports from Apia of the 18th of Decem.
Der, landing corps of the Olga was
sent to accompany the German consul
to the scene OF war OF the natives, in
consequence of the destruction of Ger
man property and bodily insults to
men of the marine while on leave. The
consul was going there for the purpose
of inspecting the armament. On the
way to the Bollele plantation the land
ing corps of tbs Olga was surprised by
AN ATTACK BY THE INsURRRCTIoNIsTS,
under the leadership of an American
named Klein. a landing being there.
upon made by the cruiser Adler and
the gunboat Eber the natives were
thrown back and several of their vii
lagos situated on the coast destroyed.
Lieutenant Sieger and fifteen men are
dead, and Lieutenants Spengler and
Bucharest, as well as thirty-siX men
wounded. The victory was a costly
one, and not one to be rejoiced over.
The German meddliDg in the qusrrels
of Kings Mataafa, Malietoa and Tamf =
sese has been hailed with rejoicing fro m
several quarters, for the reason that the
final result Of the business was expected
to be the occupation of Samoa by Il e
German Empire. England and the
United States do not, however, agree to
such consummation, and now We have
even lost a number of men in battle
with the despised islanders-new leaf
in the history of our colonial policy;
laurel leaf, but what sort of one?
SAN FRANCISCO, January 24.-The
Honolulu Bulletin of the 18th instant,
prints what purports to be circular
just sent out by German officers at
Samoa regarding the late disturbance
there. The circular denies that the
Germans on the islands have oppressed
or misused the natives. 1t reaffirms
the statement of the late battle IN which
twenty-five Germans Were killed, led
by an American newspaper correspon-
dent.
WASHINGTON, January N.-Dispatches
from Berlin and London in regard to
the attitude of Germany on the Samoan
question were the subject of general
discussion IN this city this evening. A
representative of the Associated Press
was accorded a brief interview with
SECRETARY BAYARD
this morning. He said he had read the
dispatched In question, but said it would
not be proper for him to discuss their
subject matters at this time. He said,
although Germany may have larger
interests in Samoa than the United
States, it had no better or later informa
ton from that country than the United
States. In regard to the statement
that Germany would violate no treaty
in acquiring ascendency in Samoa,
Bayard called attention to the declara-
ton concerning the boundaries of Ger
man and English dominions in the west
Pacific Ocean signed at Berlin, April
9Th, 1886, by Count Bismarck on the
part of Germany and Sir Edward
Mullet on the part of Great Britain.
Bayard said he thought this agreement
precluded German acquisitions in
Samoa, and that she was bouni to
respect the rights of that island.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY RIvEs
read the dis patches carefully this after
noon and remarked with smile: They
ssen to be hurting defiance in our teeth,
don't they ?" When asked If he had
no further comment to make on the
subject. he said be had not. He subse-
Quently intimsted. however. that there
were Important differences in the state
ments made by the North German Ga
zette and the Presidents message to
Congress OF the the 10Th inst. in regard
to the treaty rights of Germany, Great
Britain and the United States IN the
Samoan matter. He declined to POINT
out the discrepancies, but regretted that
the position of the government on the
question as stated by the Gazette, diff
feIed from our position as defined by
the President. Rives would say no
more, but that it is understood
that he referred particularly
to that passage in the message where
the President says: Acting within
the restraints which our Constitution
and laws have placed upon the execu-
tive power, l have insisted that the
autonomy and independence of Samoa
shouldI be scrupulously preserved ac-
cording to the treaties made with
Samoa by the powers named: Ger
many, Great Britain and the United
States and their agreements and under
standing with each other. l have pro-
tested against every act apparently
tending in the opposite direction and
during the existence of an inter
national disturbance one or more
vessels of war have been kept in
Samoan waters to protect American
citizens and property.
SECRETARY WHITNEY
declined to be interviewed. The policy
OF the government, he said, was fixed
and anything which might.be said in
regard to it, must come from the State
Department. The Navy Department