Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-31
THE SAMOAN AFFAIR.
Important Documents Sent
to Congress.
BlSMARCK's FROZEN GALL.
He Proposes to Punish the Followers
of Tamaafa-War Said to
be Declared.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HRRALD.f
WASHINGTON, January 3O.-The Presi-
dent to-day sent to Congress the addi-
tional correspondent &c relative to Samoan
affairs, accompanied by the following
message: -
To Congress:
had the honor, on the 18th instant,
to communicate to your honorable body
certain correspondence and documents
in relation to affairs in the Samoan
islands, and ha,ing, since, received fur
ther dispatches from the Vice Consul at
Apia and the Commander of the United
States naval vessel, Nipsic, in those
waters, 1 lose no time in laying them
before you. / also transmit, herewith,
the full text of the instructions from
Prince Won Bismarck to the German
Minister at this capital, which was COM
municated on the afternoon of the 2Sth
instant. This appears to be an amplifi-
cation of prior telegraphic instruction
on the same subject, communicated
through the same channel, and
which, being set forth in the note of the
Secretary of State to Count Won Arco
Valley, the German Minister, on the
18th inst, was duly laid before Con-
gress with my last message in relation
to Samoan affairs. 1t is also proper to
inform you that on Monday, the 2Sth
inst, on the occasion of the communica-
ton of the note of the Prince Chancellor,
the Secretary of State was given to under
stand by the German Minister that a
proposition from his government to that
of the United States for conference on
the Samoan subject was on its way by
mail, having left Berlin on the Goth
inst, so that its arrival here, in due
course of rail, can be looked for in a
short time. In reply to an inquiry from
the Secretary of State whether the
the proposition referred to was for a
renewal of the joint conference between
United States, Germany and Great Brit
ain, which was suspended in July, 1887,
or for consideration OF Samoan affairs
ab nopO, the German Minister stated his
inability to answer until the proposition
which left Berlin on the Goth inst should
have been received. shall, hereafter,
communicate to Congress all information
before me in relation to the Samoan
status.
The correspondence accompanyin ing this
| lhCocoSO VI thO AiCoiNCAO SlVC6 6l OlI-
cial account Of events in Samoa practi-
cally the same as they have been already
outlined in the press dispatches. Re-
garding the seizure OF small
: boat carrying the American flag,
Captain Mulian, OF the Nipsic,
: says, that on January l he wrote
to the captain of the German vessel, and
received a reply to the effect that there
was no flag flying on the boat. "This is
not true," adds Captain Mullan, las the
: boat was seen from the Consu's office,
and also by others in other parts of the
town, plainly flying the American flag.
This is the usual way the Germans adopt
for STRENGTHENING out the outrsges they
commit"
In conclusion, the Captain says: II
am of opinion that our Government
should have, at this point, more vessels,
especially at this time. I have caused
to be posted in the town of Apia a notice
that the lives of all American citizens
will find protection on board this vessel,
, under my command, and that at the
first intimation of an outbreak of hos
tilities in Apia, I shall land my force for
, the protection of their property"
The last letter is one from Prince Bis
mark to Count Won Arcovally, of which
the following is translation:
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRs,l
BERLIN, January %, 1889.
1 have already notified your Excel
lency that, according to telegrahic COM
: munications from Apia on the 18th of
: December, detachment of the German
naval forces, which had landed at the
requisition of the Imperial Consul for the
protection of the German settlements,
} which were endangered by the conflicts
between the native parties there, was at
tackled by armed Samoans belonging to
the party of Chief Mataafa. This unpro-
voked attack is said to have taken place
} under the leadership of an American
} named Klein. On this occasion more
than fifty German soldiers and officers
: were killed and wounded. In con-
J sequence Of this we have been
transplanted from the territory of
mediatorial negotiations by which
Apia the Imperial Consul in
was trying to reconcile the
centending parties, and for which
he had sought the cooperation Of
his English and American colleagues,
into state of war with the assailants, to
our regret. We shall carry on the con-
test which has been forced upon us by
Mataafa and his followers with the ut
LlObI COu5lucTdtlOu lOT Guktl5A oAA
American interests. Our military meas
ures have in view only the punishment
of the murderers of the German soldiers
and the protection of our country
men and their property. AS they,
on their part, are at war with
Tamasese, our interference will neces-
sarily assume the character of assistance
to Tamasese. In our endeavor for the
Just punishment of the murderous crime,
we hope for the cooperation OF the
treaty powers in Samoa with suitable in
structions. We ask the Government OF
the Bnited States to be good enough to
furnish their Consuls and the comman-
ders of it's ships of war in Samoa with
suitable instructions. Our armed forces
there are instructed to avoid and to pre-
vent all injury to neutral commerce,
and properly, and to adopt meas
ures OF reprisal and destruction only
against the followers of the party
which initiated the contest against our
troops by their murderous attack. We
shall of course abide by our agreements
with America and England with respect
to Samoa, and pay due regard under all
circumstances to the rights of those pow
ers as established by treaty. 1 beg your
Excellency to bring this communication
to Mr.. Bayard's knowledge by reading it
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