Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-24
CONGRESS TAKES ACTION
The President to Be Supplied
 with the Sinews of War.
MIR. sEwALL.s BOLD CRITICISM,

MIR. SEWALLS BOLD CRITICISM, Two Appropriations, AEgregating S60o.-
 900, to Be Recommended for Protecting
 the Interests of the United States in
 Samua-A New Coaiing Station.
 WASHINGTON, Jan 24-Thc Samoan con troversy is the only topic now attracting any attention at the national capital H. both branches of congress aud at the navy depart ment it is freely discussed, but within the mysterious recesSes of the state department the discussion is carried on in ghostly whis- Pers.
 The senate committee on foreign relations held a meeting to consider the Samoan question. A long session followed, much of which was spent in critical examination of the testimony given by Consul General Sewan during the recent secret hearings of the committee As result Senator Sher- man reported to the senate an amendment to the consular and diplomatic appropria- tion bill to insert the following:
 For tho execution of the obligations and the protection of the interests of the United States existing under the treaty between the United States and the government of the Samoan Islands, $500, ,0Ao or so much thereof may be necessary. to be expended under tho direction of the pres dent This appropriation to be immediately available
 Also the following paragraph:
 ] For tue survey, improvement and occupation of the bay and harbor of Pago Pago iu the Island of Tutnla, Samoa aud for the construction of the necessary whnrves aud buildings for such occupation, and for a soalinE station therein, Under the direction of the president, Slo0, 900. This RDDrODriatiOn to be immediately available.
 The testimony of Consul General Sewau before the committee on foreign relations 1t Is thought, may get that extremely frank and fearless gentleman into trouble with his superiors in the state department. He did not hesitate to criticise the secretary of state and to make 1t plain that the state depart ment had by no means backed him up in his efforts to that the treaty rights of tho United States in the Samoan Islands were respected by the Gsrmans. The natives of the island, MT. SswalI said, were very favor. ably impressed with our attitude towards their country when tho existing treaty was negotiated That this tI'eaty had ever been negotiated Mir. Sewall regarded an unfor- tunate occurance for the reason that the United States had uniformly failed to insist upon the observance of its provisions by the Germans
 The most sensational statement in Mr. Sewalrs testimony refers to an alleged inter- national conspiracy His utterances on this point have attracted great deal of atten- tion, and created decided breeze in the state department The very comprehensive scheme which Mir. Sewall outlined, by which the German government was to taks posses aion of Samoa and the British government eventually of the Tougo Islands and Hawaii, | was noted with great Interest. The strategic importance Of the latter island, which is to | be the northern landing place of the cable | between Vancouver and New Zealan l, can hardly be overestimated. At the state de partnent the utmost incredulity was ex- pressed as to these statements of MT. Sewall. l A prominent official said to correspondent II do not for a moment believe the English l have anything to do with the present state of affairs in Samoa So confident is the sec | retary upon this point that he has made rep | resentations to Lord Salisbury, through Min- 1 ister Phelps, looking to united action on the | part of England and the United States to | stop the asgressions of the Germans and to | secure the enforcement of the treaty rights of the Americans and the autonomy of the Sa- moan government Nothing definite has ct been received from Minister Phelps, but we l have no doubt the English government wi i'll | readily join us in the effort we are making It is certainly to her interest to do SD. and she l generally acts in accordance with her inter- l est The state department really can do | nothing until congress shall direct us By l tho resolutions already adopted the matter | has been taken out of our hands, but any course which may be outlined will be most willingly and cheerfu!ly followed by the de- partment."
 No criticism of Consul Sewalls testimony | could be secured from any state department official though there Is a general feeling that his career consul general at Apia is very likely to be speedily cut short When Mir. Sewan was asked by the committee what effect the recent action of the government l in sending another war vessel to Samoa
 would have on the Germans, Mr. Sewall re- l piled that the instructions of thfs government l to Admiral Kimberly were but ordinary in.
 structions; that the Germans knew the li,n-
 ited authority they gave, and that under
 these instructions the representative of the l United States cannot reach the real cause oI
 the trouble at all
 Consul BlAcklock, at Samoa, sent to tht
 state department a cablegran,. via Auck l land, as follows:
 Hon. Thomas F. Bayard. Secretary of State: 1 The fire whioh destroyed the German oonsu | late at Samoa was purely aecdental.i
 BLAcKLoex, Consul. LONDON, Jan. 24-The Oologn. Gazette referring to the recent troubles in Samoa
 asserts that England and Germany have ( cordial understanding on tho subject, ant , are acting toRether for the restoration O
 good order in tho islands
 ,I Con Leads.
 } CHARLESTON, W. Va, Jan. 24-Ths sen | l ... t~:.