The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-03-13
9HE SAMOAN TROUBLE,
A Naval Officer Who Has Some
Decided Opinions :
REGARDING BAYARD'S POLICY.
a Severe Criticism Of tho Course of
the late AdmInIsIrallou-The Re-
ports of Battle May be True.
WIN Know In y Few Days,

New YoRE, March ia Washington
special gives the following interesting
interview with naval officer:
MY information is !" says this officer,
that the last official dispatches left sa-
moa about the last OF January and
reached Frisco about February l5or 10,
These dispatches were never transmit.
ted to the Senate, which was looking for
SO much light on the vexed question
only two weeks before, Other dis.
patches had been before promptly sent
to the Senate, and tho question is natu-
raj, whywer not these last as promptly
transmitted?"
"Why were they not so transmitted,
do you think2" asked the reporter,
"Well, I think the milk. lies in the
fact that Bayard maintained tho whole
problem could be solved In a peaceful
way, Germany had made overtures to
this Government to have convention
in Berlin where the wrecked convention
OF Washington could be healed. Bayard
thought that by accepting Germany's
proposition he lad been successful as q
diplomat, But, at the same time, he dis.
missed Consul General Sewall forswear.
ing to the true condition Of affairs in
Samoa, And, don't you sec, 1t wouldn't
appear very well for him 10 lay before
the Senate particularly as those certain
dispatches had not been called ior) mat.
tors that would show u still further
aggression on the part Of tho Germans,
DAYARD's cowARDIH POLICY.
"These matters, or rather, serious
wrongs" ho continued, "have been per-
mitted to drag along month after month,
and tho departments seem be satisfied
that tho American officials protested.
Again, they knew We had only one an-
cient vessel while the Germans had
three well manned and equipped mod.
ern built Vessels, and yet Mullan, in his
single ship, was in his glory though not
monarch OF all he surveyed. The Ger
mans came in for that; nay, more.
While all these outragGs were being per-
petrated none OF our vessels could be
spared from their snug berths in Cozy
harbors, either on the Atlantic or Pa.
Citlc, till Mullan sent special nessen-
ger, hundreds OF miles away, to Auck-
land, In order to request that he be sup.
ported by the presence OF other vessels,
and it was not till this action on his part
that the Department seemed 10 wake up
to learn that all was not lovely and quiet
in the smooth Pacific.
"Admiral Kimberly will simply con-
tinue to do what Capt. Mullan has
been doing for months-proteEt and use
his good offices. These are his orders,
and he has received no others; aud am
OF the opinion that he has been too long
in the ruts OF discipline and naval regu-
lations 10 do an act without orders and
prove himself another lngraham OF
Kosta fame"
MULLAN no COWARD.
Suppose that these reports as to the
NipsiC should prove to have some ioun.
dation."
'If tho Germans have fired on unpro-,
teCted men, women and children and de-
stroyed or injured American life or pro.
pCrty, then believe Dennis W. Mullan
has opened his battery on the German
ship, determined to letthe consequences
be what they may. know the man.
My own idea is, and l know that ground
thoroughly, for was stationed in the
Pacific for many years, that there has
been serious trouble Of some kind, all OF
which we may learn In ton days. II
anything has befallCn the Nipsic there
isno possibility for our people TO commu.
nicate only by small boat which might
be chartered to go from Apia TO Tutilla
seventy miles away-a stopping
place for the California steamers. All
other modes Of conveyance are in the
hands OF tho Germans. So II would not
surprise inc II we did not have no news
for ten days, and perhaps longer. The
steamer next due in San Francisco, say
on Saturday next, may bear some intelli-
genCe. II, however, the German iron
Clads now on their way 10 Samoa reach
safely then they will bid defiance TO our
whole feeble, disjointed and scattered
navy. While our people sleep on soft
cushions, tho Germans are hulleting tho
waves to our newly found Eldorado."