, 1889-02-08
The Consul General Talks.

The Consul General Talks.
WASHINGTON, Feb. An Associated
Press reporter called this afternoon upon
Sewell and asked for a statement of the
reasons given by the state department in
its request that he should tender his res
i~gnation as consul general at Samoa. Mr..
Sewall in reply SAID:
THE reason given in the letter asking
my resignation is the disagreement of my
expressed views with the views enter
tanned by the state department in regard
to Samoan affairs. This refers, | sup
pose, to the testimony | have given before
the senate committee on foreign relations
and which has not yet been published.
No dlsapproval of my conduct in Samoa
as consul general has ever beer expressed
by the state department so far as | know.
Last Thursday l was discharged by the
committee. and affairs in Samoa being in
a most critical condition l Immediately
made arrangements to return there. No
intimation was given that | should not be
allowed to do go until within a few hours
of my intended departure, when | was
notified to remain here. The purpose
was obvious. My services were needed
Immediately if at all. Another steamer
would not sail until March and it was the
evident intention to detain me until after
he incoming of the next administration,
upon which, as is known, | have not the
slightest claim to political recognition.
NO" continued Sewall, II did pot
thereupon tender my resignation. | had
done nothing wrong. | had too much re-
spect for Mr.. Bayard to assume that |
had offended him by my testimony before
the committee. Besides, [ was under
oath to tell all | knew of Samoan affairs
and to withhold nothing. The views | ex-
pressed on the situation and the remedy
necessary were given at the request of the
committee. 1t was not for me to con-
slider whether those views agreed with
Bayard's or not. l do know however
that my views conceded with those of all
Americans who have given the matter
any thought, the state department cx.
cepted, for which | cannot speak"
what are those views Mr.. Sewall?"
II believe" said Sewall with delibera-
ton, that the disposition of Malietoa
was determined upon before the confer
ence of the three powers began and that
it was Germany's intention to carry out
the policy it had decided upon regardless
of that conference. The purpose of Ger
uldD1 10 W sCCulC COuITOl Ol Samoa III
defiance of the solemn and repeated as
surance it has given our government.
Furthermore-l believe that Lord Salisbury
is a party to this scheme and that the
movement against Samoa is only the pre-
cursor of an Anglo German attempt to
secnre supremacy in the Hawaiian is
lands"
What in your opinion will be the eff
feet of the dispatch to American ships of
war to protect our interests in Samoan"
II concur with Mr.. Bates. our late COM
missioner to Samoa, in his published opin-
ion that Admiral Kimberly can accomplish
nothing under his instructions from the
state department. Bayard expects Adj
miral Kimberly to succeed in doing by
protest what he has been trying without
success to do for a year"
Does Bayard suppose the protest will
turn Germany from the course she has
been steadily p~ursuing?"
IL believe with Secretary Whitney that
a definite policy should be adopted in
Samoa. TO send out ships there with
only their present instructions is simply
to subject their officers and men to huuml.
i~ation, or, as Secretary Whitney (using a
polite term out of respect, L suppose, for
Bay ard terms irritating conditions from
which their self respect makes them re-
volt. But Secretary Bayard cannot pun
ish Secretary Whitney nor Mr.. Bates. |
am the weakest and am, therefore, singled
out for sacrifice.
Scwell said that whatever his personal
opinion of the attitude of Bayard in
Samoan affairs might be, he had during
his entire term of service loyalty and i'm
plicitlv followed The seoretary's ~instruc-
tons Notwithstanding they placed him in
a false and humiliating position. In re-
ply to an inquiry as to whether German
aggression had been going on for so long
time, Sewell said the recent news from
Samoa, which had so aroused the coun-
try, was only Il repe tition Of what had
happened before.
Why" said he, "a great stir has
been made by the announcement that
martial law had been declared by Germa.
ny in Apia. But this is not the first
time the German consul has declared
martial law in force. German sentries,
even before Americans had been deprived
OF their right to a Joint vote in the gov
ernmeIt of the town, had been command
ed to shoot until dead men not answering
their challenge, and a notice giving warn
ing of this was posted in German script
only.
THE American banner was torn down
by Germans and trampled on. When
war was declared against Malietoa AHA