The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-10
OUTLOOK ISVERY BRIGHT

about the annexation OF the lSlanoS
to this country; his unauthorized pro-
mise to the islanders of the protectlon
of the United States and his hnal de-
portation from the islands on man-of-
war. The Strinberger-G odeffrey cpl
sode is also recounted. On January q,
1878 there was concluded at Washing
ton the treaty which up to the ratifica-
ton of the general act Of Berlin, twelve
years later, contained the only formal
definition of the relations of the United
States to the Samoan group.
The impression produced by dis
eliminating examination of these
treaty stipulations is that they were
inspired rather by an amicable desire
: on the part of our government not to
appear to be insensible to the friendly
advances of the Samoan islands, than
by superstition that the character of
our relations to Samoa greatly con-
cerned US. The way, however, was
then open TO form with Samoa any con-
nection our interests might seem 10
require.
The Tripartite PrOtectorate.
The occasion to make good the obi
cation of the United States under the
treaty of 1873, reemploying good Of
fiers in behalf of Samoan government,
arose in 1885, when DR.. Stuebell, the
German consul, took possession of all
the land containing the municipality or
Apia, so far as the Samoan govern
ment sovereign rights in it were con-
cerned, to hold it as security until an
understanding with the government
should be arrived at for the protection
Of German interests. AS counter
demonstration the American consul,
Gronebaum, raised the American nag
and proclaimed protectorate. Sub
seQuently our ministers at London and
Berlin, the referees, were instructed to
say the claim of an American protec-
torate over Samoa by the United States
consul at Apia was unauthorized and
disapproved, no protectorate by any
foreign power being desired; and to
suggest the British and German min
listers at Washington be instructed to
confer with the secretary of state with
a view 10 the establishment of order.
The secretary details at some length
the facts connected with the tripartite
protectorate in Samoa, the establish
ment of new form of government, the
election Of Malietoa as king; the reluc-
tance of the natives to accept the new
regime; the resort to coercive measures;
the breaking out Of war in July, 1898;
the intervention of the treaty powers
and Mataafa and eleven other chiefs.
Then followed the appointment of
Henry c. Ide as chief justice and the
more recent troubles in Samoa.
What Has Been Gained.
The secretary concludes as follows:
''Soberly surveying the history of our
relations with Samoa, we well may in
quire what we have gained by our de-
parture from our established policy be-
yond the expenses, the responsibilities
and the entanglements that have so far
been the only fruits. One of the great
difficulties in dealing with matters that
IA - 49,, t. Cor hot
ination is no longer restrained by the
contemplation of objects in their real
proportions. Our experience in the case
of Samoa serves to show that for our
usual exemption from the consequence
of this, we are indebted to the wise pol
icy that had previously preserved us
from such engagements as those in the
general act of Berlin, which, besides
involving in an entangling alliance, has
utterly failed to correct, if indeed it
has not aggrava ted, the very evils it
was designed to prevent.