Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-18
BAYARD'S THEORY.
Pacific 1ethods 10 Be Taught The World
In General.
The Military Should be DiscouIassd-
II the People want War About Samoa
They Must Get Another SscIstaIy.-
BALTIMORE, Feb. /

BAirrAosK, Feb. II.
A Washington special To the BAltimor
sun based on conversation held with BAyarS
gives an outline OF the policy which controlle,
the actions Of the department of State 70
the past four wears. Bsysrd has ali alon,
had yer, definite and peculiar American
policy. lie thinks il his mission to take ths
American people 10 l. al am rug the nation,
in substituting pacific methods for force ii
settling international disputes, The Bsyart
theory of statesmaIship is that nothing chou /,
be done TO disturb or imperil The peaceful
conditions of the highest duty of pstrioti
10 contribute TO their perpetuation and de
velopment
HIS idea is that the military spirit 10 to b
discouraged in the republic except 90 far a
| n, cessary for the purposes of defence, be.
cause in its abnormal development 1t 10 de.
sructive to liberty and necessarily hostile te
the ger ius of free institutions.
In commenting on the clamor in certain
quarters over the Samoan episode he said
4 don't believe the people want me to 70 te
war about Samoa. II they do, they mus
get another secretary of State"
He has felt called upon to protest to some
Of the greatest powers in Europe, which were
almost aggressively plain spoken ~ in the
tria, Italy, MeI,co and France. the official
records of which prove where the e1istency
is demanded.
lie has not hesitated in firm and courteous
t. rms 10 force upon them distinctively Amer
lean vieas of the issues involved, which
we're probably anything bu, pslatabie. The
underlying spirit of Bs. ards policy has
been TO hnmanize international relstions
He regards the principle of arb trstiou
as one that could be extended with safe ben
fit to maj kind and he would like especially
to see the neutr ilztion of private property
applied to property OF the sea ss we'll as on
land. "On N O. thirds of the globe" sal he
property on non contestants 10 by present
usages of nations regarded as ls~ful prize Of
war during war OF land and the ohcer or
soldier Who took possession of pri-
vate property without paying for it would be
justly regarded ss q brigai d. yet on the sea
n mans whole fortune invested in ship or
cargo may be swept away without redress"
Another favorite theme is the neutrAlizA-
ton of certain localities useful tn all powers
incapable of6defence without disproportionate
costs by any one of them. He instances the
Suez canal An an example important TO be
first secured by the application of this prin
ciple 1t ~oald not be 4 sufficient protec
ton for the United States to have the con
troll of the Panama canal. The only ade-
quate protection would be the naturalization
of the canal by the consent of all powers
Bayard sought to apply this principal to the
Samoan Islands, that the United States
.houl' guarantee the neutralizing Of those
islands seemed TO him unwise for the reason
that it would expose this country to the con-
staDt risk of embodiment in the relations Of
Samoa with other powers.
He would not be responsible for whatever
Samoa might choose to do without powers TO
regulate her conduct. Ii would be cheaper
TO annex the islands at once for we would
acquire the right to provide them with safe
and sable government The cost wouli be
enormous after all this expenditure,
and the American interests in Samoa
would not be as safe as
under guarantee of the powers interested in
the neutrality of the islands. Bayard looks
npon the r, lection of the Cainese. fishe ries
and extradition treaties as unfortunate for
the country.
Bayard says his regrets at the course
which the party Opponei Is pursued. proceed
from disappointment that they for the sake
of mere party or personal advantage have
hampered aud embarrassed him, igDorin I
heir duty Ia treat him not as an individual
but as public servant charged with public
trust, the performance of which should have
been facilitated by every means in their
pJwer.