Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-02-07
GERMANS DECLARE WAR
THEY WILL NOW PROCEED TO MAKE
THINGS HUM IN SAMOA.


President Cleve:and's Message to Con-
gresi- Strong Talk in the Senate, in
Which 1t Is Argued that Uncle Sam
should Act Promptly -BIsmarch's Views.
Washington ID. c. specialI
An Auckland telegram states that Samoa
adyices say that the Germans have de-
elared war against King Mataafa and that
probably all the Samoans will join against
the Germans. naa
President Cleveland sent to Congress
add tolal correspondence relative to Sa-
moan affairs, accompanied by the following
message:
! To the Congress-:
had the honor ON the 18th inst to communi-
cato to your honorable body certain correspond
ence and documents in relation to affairs in tho
| Samoan Islands, and having since received fur
ther dispatches from the Vice Consul at Apia
| and the commander OF the United States naval
| vessel Nirsic in those waters, lose no time In
laying them before you. also transmit here
Won Bismarck to the Germsn Minister at this
capital, which was communicated on the after
noon OF the 2eth inst. This appears to be an
amplihcation 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. of the 18th inst,
was duly laid before Congress with my last mes
sage In relation to Samoan affairs.
1t Is also proper TO inform You that on Mon
day. the 26th inst. the occasion Of the commu-
nication of the note OF the Prince Chanc- -lor,
the Secretary OF State was given 10 understand
! by the German Minister that proposition from
! his Government to that OF the United States for
! a conference on the Samoan subject was it's
way by mail, having left Berlin on the 2Oth inst,
! so hat It's arrival here In due course of mail can
/ be looked for in a very short time. In reply to
the inquiry from the secretary of State whether
tho Proposition referred to was for a renewal OF
the Joint conference between the United States,
Germany. and Great Britain, which was sus-
pended in July, 1887, or for the consideration of
Samoan affairs alb novo the German Minister
stated his inability to answer until the PROPOSE
tion which left Berlin on the 2 tn inst should
have been received.
all information before me In relation 70 ths
samoan status. GROVER CLEVELAND.
The correspondence accompanying the
message gives an amplifed account Of
recent events in Samoa. 1t opens with
Vice Consul Blacklock's account of the
maltreatment of natives and the beating
of the marshal of the Consul's Office by
$50 drunken sailors from German man
of-war on Dec. Is and l6. On Dec. 20
and " the Consul arranged meeting of
the three Consuls at the German consul
ate, but nothing could be done, as the
German Consul said he had lost so many
men he must now take the matter in his
/ own hands and revenge their losses.
On Jan. j, the Vice Consul says Capt.
Mullan, having written to the captain Of
the German vessel which seized the
American boat the other day, received n
reply to the effect that there was no flag
flying on the boat; this is not true, rs the
boat was seen from this Office, also by
others in other parts of town, plainly fly
ing the American flag This is the usual
way the Germans adopt for strengthening
put the outrages they commit.
! ha 1oc so Drtn TIC
marck to Count Won Arco Valley, detailing
the the anggoy0hsdJ e. astaGbk"a IF dRRiGes RRa.
upon German naval force which had
landed at the requisition of the imperial
consul for the protection of German set-
Elements which were endangered by the
conflicts between the native parties" The
letter continues:
In consequence OF this we have been trans.
| planted from the territory Of mCdiatorial nego-
| tiations by which the imperial consul in Apia
was trying to reconcile the contending partie
and for which he sought the cooperation Of his
l English and American colleagues, into q state
| OF war with the assailants, to our regret. We
/ shall carry on the contest that has been forced
! upon us by Mataafa and his followers with the
utmost consideration for English and American
| interests. Our military measures have In view
! only the punishment OF emurders OF German
soldiers and the protection of our countrymen and
their property. As they on their part are at
war with Tamasese our interference will neces-
| sarly assume the character of assistancs to
Tamasese. In the endeayor for the just punish
ment OF a murderous crime we hope for the CO.
friendship with u.s. and We ask the Government
| of the United States to be good enough TO fur
| nish the consuls and the commanders OF its
| ships of war in Samoa with suitable instruc-
| { ons Our armed forces there are instructed to
avoid and to prevent all injury to neutral COM
merce and property, and to adopt measures Of
reprisal and destruction only against the fol-
lowers of the party which initiated the contest
against our troops by murderous attack. we
shall of course abide by the aere, ments with
America and England with respect to Samoa.
and pay due regard, under oil circums anoes, to
the rights OF those powers as established by
treaty.
The Samoan amendments to the Con-
eular bill were discussed in the Senate by
Messrs. Dolph and Reagan. Mr.. Dolph
said the question was one of local inter-
est 10 the people of the Pacific coast, and
argued that the treaty of 1884 between
Germany and Samoa gave the German
Government powers which we're incom-
patible with the autonomy of the native
government aud inconsistent with Ameri-
can treaty rights in the islands. If Con-
press were to interfere in the matter at
all, the President should be directed to
insist upon restoration by the German
Government of the status quo at the time
of the Washington conference, and to no.
tify the German Government that the
I
Samoan islands to pass under the control
OF any foreign nation, and that their inde-
pendent autonomy must be maintained.
He saw no good reason why, If necessary,
and If requested by the Samoan people,
an American protectorate should not be
established over them.
Mr.. Reagan declared that no American
citizen could read the correspondence
without feeling humiliation to see the
rights of the United States brutally over
ridden and trodden down by German sub
alterns while the German Prime Minister
was protesting friendship and desire to
maintain proper relations with tho Gov
ernment of the United States. He
thought the proposed amendments were
too feeble to vindicate the rights of the
American people in the matter, and added:
II we believe that we have rights which have
been violated we should assert those ri ghts a.
becomes great and powerful nation. / am not
I'm favor OF war. But the humiliation OF great
nation in the face OF an arrogant power In worse
than war. i would give the President power 70
determine what our rights in the matter are and
the rover to assert those rights in n way that
conId not be mistaken. / would suggest the
addition TO the pending amendment OF the
words "and for the protection OF the rights OF
| American citizens residing in said islands and
to preserve tn' neStrany ana ncependsncs ie o.
thing But II we do not put I'm some declaration
we leave the President exactly where he ts now
.e~sitfcu where he regards himself M
owerlese to vindicate the rights OF the United
States.
Canada Must stand by the 1918 Treaty.
1t is understood that the Governor Gen.