The herald., 1894-05-10
A CASE OF LOVES LABOR LOST
Samoan Correspondence Sent to
the Senate.
Secretary Gresham Sizes Up the
Situation.
Failure OF tho Tripartito Government l..
This UnitSd States the Galner OF
Nothing but Worry
and Expense.
By the Associated Press


''for by Senator Gray's resolution OF this
9th ultimo. The correspondence is very
voluminous, covering about 10000
pages. In submittinS il to tho presi-
dent, Secretary Gresham haa takon the
opportunity TO set out ct length hia corr
clusions aa to the worklrgo of th0 tri-
partte agreement. This letter OF the
secretary is certain TO give rise to much
discussion and controversy.
A period of almost five years having
elapsed since the concusion OF the
general act of Berlin. the present ocoa-
Hion is, the secretary says, not ilappro-
pirate for review Of the reaults. In
order that tho aubject may bs ful ly
comprehended, he puts @ general survey
of our relations to Samoa hatore end
since the conclusion OF the general act.
snd recitea the policy we have pursued
toward the island. He says it is
in our relations to Samoa that we
have made the first departure from
our traditional and well-estgb gbiiehed
policy OF avoiding entangling alliances
with foreign powers in relation to OBJ
ecta remote from this hemisphere. Like
all other human transactions, the wis
dom OF that departure muet bo tested
by its fruits. II there be no evidence Of
detriment suffered before its application
or of advantages aimee gained, we are
confronted with the serious responsible
ity OF having, without sufficient grounds,
imposed a policy which is not only CO.
equal with our government, but to
which may in great measure bo ss-
cribed the peace, the prosperity and
the general influence OF the United
States.
In 1873 special agent, named Strin-
berger, was sent to the islandn by the
secretary Of state for tho expresa pur-
pose of obtaining information in regard
to their condition. Thia atep eeems to
have been suggested by certain highly
respectable commercial persons" who
represented the opportunities for
Strengthening our commercials srelations
in that quarter of the globe, aud by cir
cumstances in the preceding year when
naval officer Of the United States. act
ing on his own responsibility, entered
into an agreement with the great chief
of the bay OF Psgo- Pago, whereby the
latter, while protesting hie wish for the
friendship and protection Of the United
States, detailed to this government the
exclusive privilege OF establishing in
1872, President Grant communicated
this agreement to the senate, saying he
would not hesitate to recommend its APP
proval, but for the protection to which
it seemed to pledge the United States,
but it does not appear the senate took
any action on the agreement.
Secretary Gresham continues with an
account of Stsinberger's connections
with Samoa and his efforts to bring
about the annexation Of the islands to
this country his unauthorized promise
to the islanders OF the protection of the
United States. and his final deportation
from the islands on q man of-war.
The Steinberger-0 0odefrey episode is
also recounted.
- On january s, 1878, there was con-
cluded at Washington treaty which,
up to the ratification Of the general act
of Berlin IL years later, contained the
only formal definition OF the relations of
the United States to the Samoan group.
The impression produced by discrim-
mating examination OF these treaty
stipulations is that they were inspired
rather by anismicable desire on the part
of our government not to appear inaen-
sible to the friendly advances of the Sa-
moan islands than by any supposition
that the character of our relations to
Samoa greatly concerned us. The way,
however, was then open to form with
Samoa any connection our interests
might have seemed to require.
The occasion to make good the obligs-
tion of the United States under the
treaty of 1873 in re-employiDg cur good
Offices in behalf OF the Samoan govern
ment, arose in 1885 when DR.. Stuebel,
the German consul, took possession of
all the land on which the municipality
Apia, 60 far as the Samoan governments
sovereign rights in it were concsrned, to
hold it az security until an understand
ing with the government should be ar-
rived at for the protection OF German
interests. AS counter-demonstration,
the American consul, Grenebaum. raised
the American flag and proclaimed pro-
tectorate. subsequently our ministers
at London and Berlin, the referees, were
instructed to ga ythe claim OF an Amer
ican protectorate over Samoa by the
United States consul at ApiR was unGu-
thorized and disapproved, DO protector
ate by any foreign power bsing desired
and to suggest that the British and Ger
man ministers at Washington be in
structed to confer with the secretary Of
etate with a view to the establishment
OF order.
The secretary details at some length
the facts connected with the tripGrtite
protectorate in Samoa, the establish
ment Of new form OF government, the
election OF MslietoR ca kiag, the reluc-
tance OF natives to accept the new
regime, the resort to coercive measures,
the bTssking out of war in July, 1878,
the Intervention OF treaty powers ana
MatRafa and IL othor chiefs.
Then followed the appointment OF
Henry O. Ide as chief juetice and the
more recent troubles il Samoa.
Ths secretary coRclGass as follows:
Soberly surveying the history Of our
relations with Samoa. we may we'll inquire
what wo have gairsd by our departure
from our established policy, beyond the
expenses, tue responsibility and the en-
tanglemsnt that have 30 far been the
only fruits. One Of the great difficulties
in dealing with l21tsers that lie al dis
tanos is the fact that ths imagination ia
no loAger restrained by tha contempla
tlon Of objects in their real proportions.
Our experience IN she case OF Samoa
serves to chow that for our usual exemp-
ton from the consequences of this we
ere indebted TO the visa policy thai had
previously preserved us from such on
gagements aB those in the general act Of
Berlin, which, besides involving us in an
eDtanglinR alliance, has utterly failed to
correct, if indeed it hau not aggravated,
the very evils it was designed to pre-
4f,.lI /,