The morning news., 1889-01-30

purpose of enabling the representatives Of Ger
many and Great Britain TO consult their re-
spective governments. No intmation was then
given that the StGt't quo would be changed or
that any acts of hostility agains. the Samoan
government, or King Maleitoa personally.
were in contemplation. That the gov
ernment of her Britannia majesty fully
concurred in the importance of a careful main
tenance of the dta que and in the understand
ing that no step should be taken to change it,
appears from the declaration of the British
minister at the first session OF the conference
when in presenting the plan OF his government
he said that in view of native dissensions, the
new election of a king seemed TO be impera-
lively called for, and that her majesty's govern
ment expressed no opinion, favorably or
adversely, to the election of Malietoa.
On the same subject the German min
lister SAID: king Malietoa having
VIGOROUSLY violated his treaty obligations to-
ward Germany, and having, even among ma
tives, comparatively but few partsans while
a completely organized couuter government has
been formed under Tamasese the new election
of a king will have to take place according to
the customs of the country. This election is to
be freely made by the chiefs and the paOple Of
Samoa" 1t is unnecessary to cite other state
ments equally pertinent to show the apparently
complete concurrence OF view as to the peace
ful and benevolent purpose of the conference.
sCHEMING TO GAIN CONTROL.
Continuing, MIR. Bayard says:
Prince Bismarck has referred in his note, as
the German minister did in the conference, to
guarantees to be demanded and obtained from
the Samoan government Whenever these
guarantees have been explained they have been
found virtually to involve foreign control of
that government, as was proposed in the Ser
man Samoan convention of Nov 10, 1884, and
also in the plan presented by the Ger
man minister to the conference. The ground
upon which control has been deemed essential
is the weakness of the native government
Even if the affairs of the government OF Samoa
were now administered by any OF the treaty
powers, the islands would be governed mora
nearly in accordance with the forms and usages
| of civilized states and order be better assured
| But for the very reason that the native govern
ment of Samoa is weak, it has seemed all the
more clear to the United States that control of
| the islands by any strong foreign power, or its
representatives, would defeat the great object
| of securing native independence and autonomy,
| and prac icaly the naturalization OF
! the group Under such control the
| native government would necessarily cease to
| have more than a nominal existence; the native
| element in the islands deprived If a voice and
| influence in the manage gement OF their affairs.
| would quickly succumb to the aggressive and
! exclusive tendencies of the foreign residents,
and under these circumstance the Islands
| would inevitably become the COLONY Of the for
! egn power, by which, or by whose representa-
! tives, the government was actually admins
| tered. These general observations are made
b cause, Notwithstanding the Efforts of the gov.
| ernment to stae its views in respect
! to Samoa in a spirit of e ltire frankness,
| 1t has sometimes seemed that they have not
! been fully apprehended or else that the govern
| ments of the United States and Germany,
| while agreeing to the same general prime pies
differed as to their relative Importance and the
| order in which they should be applied. Owing,
! Doubt IS, to her commercial prepOnderance in
| the islands, to Germany tHe primary object has
seemed to be the establishment of a strong r
| COVE nmeut. To the United States the object
first in importance has seemed 20 he the preserva-
| ton of the native Independence and autonomy.
| And SO regarding this as Germauy's object, this
| government, while not questioning Germany =
IL, -E
| her part to annex or establish a protectorate
! over the islands, has bean comCelled to dissent
| from propositions which seemed to subordinate
all other considerations to the strengthening Of
| the German commercial end landed interests in
! the islands, and correSpondingly diminish, if
! not entirely destroy the probabi ity of Samoan
| government, aud of the naturalization OF the
group. at least in respect to the powers now
| Immediately concerned.