St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-16
Secretary Blaine Has Adopted
Mr.. Bayard's Ideas on the
Subject.
President Harrison COntem.
plates Fitting Up a Suite
Of Offices.
Badeau'S Grab for Extra Sal
ary Fails to Reach--Capi-
tai Gossip.

delegates TO the Samoan commission,
accompanied by Lieut.. Parker, eX-Con-
sui General Harold M. Sewall and Mes
the Umbria Saturday morning. Two
hours before their departure special
messenger from the state depart
ment handed to MI. Phelps a
large envelope, bearing several
great red seals. The messenger
had gone from Washington by the night
express, and the envelope he carried
contained the official instructions to the
Samoan commissioners. Previous to
the departure Of the commissioners for
New York several conferences with
Secretary Blaine were held at the state
department, but the final instructions
were the subject of protracted and eX-
hauStive discussion at the cabinet meet
ing Friday. After an agreement was
reached, they were redrafted and in
trusted to special messenger for de-
livery. These instructions will be
guarded with great care by the COM
missioners to prevent their pub
LEGATION, but your correspondent
has secured an accurate abstract,
showing the powers and limitations pre-
.Scribed for the guidance of the gentle
men who are to represent the United
States in the coming conference. 1t is
a striking and noteworthy fact that IN
drawing the instructions to the commits
sioners the ideas and general policy of
Secretary Bayard have been
CLOSELY ADHERED TO
by Secretary Blaine. Indeed, there is
not an item of consequence embraced in
the instructions which has not been
emphasized by Mr.. Bayard in the course
nf h C cfnfn 70 ~
of the United States in the controversy.
The commissioners are instructed to in
siSt upon the absolute autonomy of the
native government in the Samoan
islands. This is the most important
point to be considered and its obServ-
ance is made sine qua non of any
agreement to be arrived at. Though
the note of Prince Bismarck, extendin g
the invitation, stated that ''any suppO-
sition that Germany would not feel sat-
isfied with a neutral position in the
Samoan Islands was unfounded," yet in
the last conference, Mr.. .Alvensleben,
the German minister, insisted that the
treaty power having the largest con-
mercial interests should not be eX-
cluded from efficient control of the Sa-
moved to remark that the German min
He inquired if the German minister
would agree to strike out Germany and
insert England or the United States.
Mr.. Alvensleben would not consent. Mr.
Bayard remarked that in the German
plan ''the preponderating interest," was
the beginning. the middle and the end
of tn e whole scheme. Secretary Blaine
TAKES HIS CUE FEoM MIR. BAYARD,
and makes of paramount Importance
the same consideration that Mr., Bayard
regarded as Overshadowing all others.
Arguing for the absolute autonomy of the
islands, the commissioners are directed
to emphasize the fact that no preponder-
ance of commercial interests should
weigh to the extent of warranting any
assignment of authority or influence
with the native government to any rep
reSentatiye of treaty power. The
commissioners are further instructed not
TO admit, under any circumstances, the
assumption SO arrogantly made by
Prince Bismarck, that the representa-
tives of the United States in Samoa
have been in any way RESPONSE
bic for the deplorable condition
of affairs there. In letter to Secretary
Bayard, Prince Bismarck, said on this
point: ut is remarkable that in that
remote realm of islands. where neither
AMCllCd llOl bCl uldlN lids dly pOlltlCdl
interest to defend, we are exposed to
the continued ill will of a series of
American representatives. Should my
suppOsition be right, that these difficult
ties have their origin in the personal
diSp OSitiOn of the American representa-
tiveS in Apia, and not in their instruc-
tons, | am convinced that the Ameri-
can government will cause the necessary
redress to take place." This assumption
of Princei Bismarck the commissioners
| are directed to cOntrovert with empha-
sis. and to make it absolutely plain,
without ambiguity of language, that
the United States will not, for one mo-
| ment, entertain the idea OF its respon-
! Sibility for damages alleged to have
been suffered by German subjects, or
by the imperial German government,
| owing to the state of war prevailing in
| Samoa. While it cannot, of course, be
known exactly what position will be
| taken by the German commissioners
| upon the point, yet it is believed at the
| state department that the German gov
| eminent will endea7or to hold the
UNITED STATES RESPONSIBLE
| for the conduct with which John G..
Klein has been charged in connection
with the battle of Fagali, Dec. IS, in
| which twenty-three German sailors were
| killed by the natives. 1t is thought that
| the char ge against Mr.. Klein will be ur-
gently pressed by the German commits
sioners, the responsibility of the United
| States being based upon the general
principle of international law, that a
country may be held to account for the
| acts of its citizens. when directed against
| another nation with which it is at peace.
| This charge is one which the commits
1 CT hau hnQn 1Ixr ota nd frs
resist. They will hold strenuously that
| Mr.. Klein was present in Samoa solely
| in private capacity, and, further, that
| he did not take any such part in
| the battle of Fagali as is alleged,
in support of which the affidavits
| of Mr.. Klein and three of Mataafa's
| soldiers, together with Mr.. Kein's testi-
mony recently taken at the state depart
ment, will be introduced. No claim for
| redress or indemnity upon this score
will be entertained. Probably the most
| delicate question the members of the
| commission will be called upon to con-
slider will arise in connection with the
| damages which Prince Bismarck has
/ declared the German government will
| exact of the Samoans, for losses alleged
| t0have been sustained by German sub
jeets at the hands of the natives. The
| policy of the United States, however,
will be made clearly apparent. While
the commissioners will not be prepared
/ to resist in toto the demands that Ger
many may make upon the Samoans, yet
| AN EMPHATIC PROTEST
| will be entered against any attempt
upon the part of Germany to levy such
an indemnity upon the impoverished
natives as shall in effect give the i'm,
| perial government practical mortgage
upon the islands. thus enabling the Ger.
mans to accomplish by this means thai
which they have thus far failed to do
| The subject of the formation of ma