Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-02
CONFERRINC ABOUT SAMOA.
Yesterdays Proceedings in the Con-
gress at Berlin.
GERMANY APPARENTLY HEDGING
The Release OF MaIietoa Looked Upon
As a Concession - Engiand's
Representatives Doing
Bit OF Diplomacy.
The Samoan Con ference.
LCopwi0ht 1889 By James Gordon Bennett.l

LONDON, May /. - New York Herald
Cable-Special to The BEE. This morn
ings Times has the following special from
its Berlin correspondent:
The subcommittee of the Samoan confer
ence is still busy with its work, and this is
understood to be the elaboration of the two
main projects-one plan for the future gov
ernment of Samoa under native ruler, and
the other proposal for the constitution of n
tribunal TO consider and adiudicate on pri-
vate land tenure in the islands, which is in
the greatest possible confusion, and is any
thing but a correct index to the extent of the
various foreign interests involved.
1t will be remembered that the
Washington conference on affairs
in Samoa ended abortively, mainly for
the reason that the United States would not
| assent to the German proposal to appoint
one representative of the three powers con-
cerned, this nominee being German, to act as
mandatory of the three states and now it is
probable that the conference will decide
upon the appointment of triamvirate body
Of administration, or supervision in Samoa
to act as sort of council to the native SOW
ereign whoever he may be.
This will mainly depend on the policy
of Germany; but, meanwhile, the enlarge
| ment of ex-King Malietoa, whom the Ger
mans deported from Samoa to Hamburg and
back to the Marshal Islands is regarded
here as a proof of her desire to make a
good impression on the conference There
is one thing less clear than some others con-
nected with the conference sitting here, and
that is the attitude of England on the Samoan
question. At Washington England was de-
cdedly in favor of the course suggested by
hor 10 nfb to CHI
that she is not again disposed, if anything,
to prove a little more complaisant to Ger
many than to the United States.
If this be so it will be evident that the
English government knows on which side
its bread Is buttered, and that
England and her colonies have
more both to hope and to fear from America
with her future development, than from any
other country under the sun. So reason OBJ
servers, who are profoundly convinced that
cordial friendship with the United States is
of much more value to England than is that
of any state in the European system, from
which Great Britain is becoming smore and
more detached by reason of her growth into
colonial world-power with ever-wldenlng and
Frightening prospects of imp erial federation.
The true foreign policy of England, so
argue the observers above referred to, has
| little or nothing to do now with affairs on the
continent, but must concern itself with
| everything connected with the states and
| colonies affected by those interests. From
| this point Of view, therefore, it is somewhat
| puzzlng to many to find Lord Salisbury lay
| ing such an ostentatious stress on the,colonlal
| entente cordiae, everywhere, with Germany,
| from whom, if it can be properly considered,
England has really nothing whatever
| to fear, and little or nothing
to hope; thus mourning the risk, slight.
though it may be, in the present case, per-
| haps, of the estrangement of affection of
| those who. in certain circumstances, might
| prove to England troublesome opponents
| 1t is not that the Samoan question. in itself
is capable of producing the effects here
| alluded to-, but at some time its treatment
| by England ought not to be such as is calcu-
| lated TO ruffle the sensibilities of either
| America or of the Australian coionists,
| whose disappointment could not possibly be
| counterpoised by any amount of gratitude on
the part of Germany as between all Anglo
| saxon races beyond the Sea and the German
| Empire.
The position of England is analogous to
| the attitude of Germany to Austria and Rus
sia, respectively, Between whoma" said
| Prince Bismarck to GortchaKoff at the con-
| gross Of Berlin, "you must not force me to
choose. l repeat that the issues involved in
the Samoan question are, by no means, so
very pregnant of high political consequence;
but still, the treatment that the question
will receive, in the opinion of those well
posted to Judge, ought to be the test of the
degree to which England has kept pace with
the true principles of political expediency.'