New-York tribune., 1894-04-27
THE PRESIDENT AND SAMOA
SIGNS OF A CHANGE IN OUR POLICY
THERE.
eo,,r MonrF1cATION OF THE BERLIN ACT
THOUGHT TO RE IN PROSPECT. PERHAPS
o>,r EVOLVING A N.rHDRAwAL or
THE UNITED STATES FROM THE
rIuPARrrrE GOVERNMENT
OF THE ISLANDS.
fpy TELEGRAPH TO TIE rniBrSEl

OF THE ISLANDS.
fry TELEGRAPH TO TIE rniBrSE,
1vasbineton. April 26.-To-days telegrafns irV'''
rordon announcing that movement Is Oh i"o'
IN England looking 10 a British pro'ec'ora'e
ove- the Samoan Islands were read mere '"""'
with great interest. Particular "'le"'''
,A,.a, 70 that mart Of the news which said that
the movement was going on with the saic''o"
.. tbts Government (which cares nothing as 70
-, co,,-ol Of Samoan affairs The quoted ne
marks Of Mr. Bayard to the effect mat ue
.o,ding If Sir John Thurston Governor of the
pyH Islands 10 Samoa would offer happy foiu-
,,on of the present difficulties in the ISLANDS
called forth special comment
'yyhat Is the meaning Of the telegrainsE WAS
the natural inquiry on all sides rs the freSl-
dent about to startlc the country WIN "e"
CHAPTER Of Original diplomacy% 1t was asked
The London message was regarded here aS 'le
more significant when read IN conhecu"n "'''
other kilograms from Europe received mere ""'
ing the last few days referring TO the samoan
situation. bringing in. with noticeable frequency
the remark that the United States was H"lI-
ferent 10 its advantages in the ISLANDS f~iriie
teleerams seemed 10 point TO the contingency 81
German predoninance in the Islands. To-days
messages indicating that EieIiSh lHto'c''' W."
to prevail cause some surprise " H.,
II has been suspected for some ume that IcsI-
dent Cleveland was on the point OF again pilhs
ing TO the attention Of the senate que5Hoil9 I'm
cerpinP tr1partitc agreement relating 10 Samoa
Samoan autonomy Is all very wei IN theory a.
cordtnC to the Presidents notions. but that the
United States should be party to its mamie
nance is OF questionable propnety Unul no"
IT has not been supposed that the lTcsidtn'
would go further than 10 show III Il iihId WaY
his disDleasuTe a what an ADMINISTRATOR "i -"
calls the anomalous situation In when me
United States is placed In Samoa, ana lnVi'f
| the attention Of the Senate 10 his view Oh th'
| case This conclusion seemed all the more
reasonable when it was remembered now u uis'
astrous were the earlier efforts OF the Aar"hls
tration to throw discrcdit upon the dlpiVhh"'
! acts Of It's predecessor and 10 bring the loIcleN
policy Of the country into disreputc, II hOl con
tempt. A... .,r,,
| ago Senator Gray introduced a resolution II
| the Senate calling upon the President lot c"Iu
| Information relating TO the condition OF aHalfS
| In Samoa more particularly as to any recen
! correspondence which has been had on 'he SUD
feet with England and Germany.
| Irouirv among members Of the Senate Com
mittec on Foreign Relations failed to bring GU
| any intelligence which would seem 10 Hluiofu l
| that the resolution had behind II any Hpe',i
object Senator Sherman. in speaking 81 'l'
resolution said that he had no Information L
show that Senator Gray expected any startiih'
information in reply 10 his resolution or ina
ANYTHING remarkable could be looked Tor.
To-day's news from London would seem 10 IN IN
dicate that there is much more benhG III
| Gray resolution than has been supposed. WIZ
the language OF the resolution Is caTciuIly Tedu
| e. becomes apparent that correspondence De
| tween the members Of the tflparute agrecneh
has been carried on and that certain hnpoi Ia"
| recommendations from the President Wln dc
comDaDy Il when II IS forwarded 10 the Sena'e
| II is assumed in well-nfOrmed circles that hu
| initiated at his defeat in the Hawaiian aHhr
| Secretary Gresham has turned his attention u
| the Samoan question, and that recently MI
| Ravard at London. and General RuhyOn, IN
| Ambassador at Berlin. at the direction OF IN
| State Department. have been IN cohsul ul't'Io
| with Lord Rosebery and the German Chihcei
| lor with a view 10 bringing about some iHVuin
| cation Of the Berlin act OF 1883
| Naturally Great Britain and Germany Woui
| gladly entertain any proposition looKlne 10 w
end Roth countries were averse to the conc,u
einns reached at the conference Of 1889, and IN
results have not been advantageous To their III
,areeta Were It 20 appear now that the UhlIc
States was willing 10 sacrince the b"nei,t
which have accrued to IL through the beIli
act neither Great Britain nor Germany "'ui WI,
lft hand TO prevent a speedy con""Iiiillo'I, -,
| oT its wishes. on the contrary. Doth count. ~ :
would with eagerness enter INTO amy neeo. i
tione looking TO n change in the cXlstlhs ieI"
t,ons which would even In the slightest deeie
bene6t themselves at the expense OF 'he ~
terests of the United States ,.e ,
NO What extent the President IS prepaiins
90 in his Samoan programme cannot De ~ Ieain ~,
e1,,th anv deAniteness. There are good rchsun
tn he,ieve that he will favor pan py VIZ ~,
this country shall be relieved from a' ie''' '~
Of its obligations in the isanos. aao,co ,
,hn s,ncerity or broad patriotism OF ms loi t
IT., tne 81, tbe oninion prevails tonight that M tn
president is on the point OF ursi"s ''e