The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-04
THE EFFECrs OF A TERRIBLE CA
LAMITT.


Advices Saturday from Samoa CAV,
Information Of tina loss Of two German
and two American Men-Of-War, with
146 officers and men cast away anC
drowned. These were Trenton, Wanda
liza, Adler and Eber. Later news stateI
that hurricane came suddenly upon
them; that the American and German
vessels were short Of coal and 90 did moi
steam out at sea. The English were
better equipped with coal else their ships
might have been added to the number,
The Neipsic was besched and probably
wrecked also, Speaking Of this catas-
trophe the Mail C Express says;
Tho appalling catastrophe at Samoa,
which has startled and solemnized two
great nations, has made Samoa and the
international contentious connected with
it prominent topics all over the civilized
world. II has also called out from
Queen Victoria another Of her charAo-
terIstic expressions OF sympathy with
this country in times Of great calamity
or misfortune. The American people
know how sincere these expressions
have been, I'D the President only voiced
the univeT l sentiment in expressing to
her his wa appreciation and that Of
our people "the Queens considerate
sympathy n the calamity that had ever
whelmed Jur naval forces at Samoa,
and in stating that more formal reply
would be made through the State, De-
partment.
Thus, through calamity without pre-
cedent, as regards its effect on the war
ships of two great nations during q
somewhat strenuous diplomatic conten-
ton, the Samoan controversy has be-
come one of world wide interest, and IN
the United States, Germany and Eng
land of foremost importance. The
Queens message TO tie President seems
to show her friendlines for the Ameri.
can side of the contention, and it will
certainly be 80 regarded unless she has
sent like message 10 the Emperor OF
Germany.
Our new Secretary of the Navy hnds
at the outset new emergencies that will
test his already well demonstrated exec
utive ability, unlimited pluck and large
resources. His action has been what
might have been expected. So far as he
has said anything reported for the pub
lie he shows that everything that can be
done to make good our naval strength at
Samoa will be done with the utmost ra-
pidity. New recruits will more than
make good the losses by the hurricane
the war ships that are nearest and most
suitable will be sent to Samoa; one, at
least, OF our big new cruisers will be
rapidly completed and sent from San
Francisco, and Secretary Tracy had or.
dersd, on the Goth Of March, that her
guns be forwarded. Within sixty days,
or three months at farthest, we shall
have q small but sufficient feet at
Samoa, and by that time our own ample
and safe harbor at PaGo Pago will have
been supplied with coal, and we shall
have the only real harbor in any Of the
Samoan Islands.
Thus circumstances, and with the
knowledge that our Government no
longer truckles to great Powers, while
bullying the weak, the American people
will fesl a perfect trust that no rights
that we have acquired in Samoa, by fair
and just dealings with the natives. will
be surrendered to Germany. The equi
ties are all on our side, We have not
sought conquest, nor have we attempted
to bully the Samoans, or to dictate to
them as to who shall be their rulers.
We have treated the Samoans as respect
fully and as justly as though they were
a great and powerful nation. The Sa.
means feel grateful for this and will not
yield to the unjust German demands un-
less they are successfully enforced by
shot and shell, and that We are pledged
to resist at all odds and to the last ex-
tremity.
Now that our contention with Ger
many over Samoa has excited the whole
worlds interest, and since greet Inter-
national calamity has intensified that
interest immeaspgably. our own people
and Governmee will sec that these
islands, ir..the dir$ line Of our COM
merce vs. sustrH Fare OF the greatest
Import a.. kould be connected
with . coast by cable as soon
as ploeoie. Our splendid harbor at Pago
Page should be supplied with coal in
great quantities; docks and warehouses
should be built there, and all sorts OF
naval supplies should be kept. We have
secured many advantages, without re-
sorting to violence or threats, simply by
fair play and just treatment, We are
bound to keep all we have won, and
ehould Germany be unwise enough to
resist our fair claims and Just rights by
force, she may find, as the Chinese once
found, that "blood is thicker than wa
ter" and that she would have TO en-.
counter English as we'll as American
ships in war in the Pacific for exclu
sIve privileges and unfair advantages, mo
matter what Lord Salisbury's ti-Amer-
lean feelings may be. The feelings Of
the English people would be then voiced
by their Queen, as on more than one oc-
casion, notably when she resisted the
ardent entreaties Of Napoleon the Fraud
eracy.