The record-union., 1894-05-10
Gresham's Views on the Workings
of the Tripartite Agreement.
FAILED TO CORRECT EVILS IT WAS
DESIGNED TO PREVENT
The House Committee on Labor
Agrees to Report Favorably the
Resolution for the appointment of
a Joint Committee to Investigate
the Cause of the Prevailing Labor
Depression.
sneeial to the REcoRp-UN1oN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
WAsHINGroN, May 9.-The President
to-day submitted to the Senate the corre-
spondence relative TO Samoa called for by
Senator Gray's resolution of the 9th ult.
The correspondence is very voluminous,
covering about 10000 pages. In sub
mitting it to the President, Secretary
Gresham has taken the opportunity TO
set out at length his conclusions as to the
workings of the tripartite agreement.
This letter of the Secretary is certain to
give rise to much discussion and con-
troversy.
AS period of almost five years has
elapsed since the conclusion of the Cen
eral Act of Berlin, the present occasion is,
the Secretary says, not inappropriate Tor
a review of the results. In order that the
subject may be fully comprehended, he
presents a general survey of our rela-
tions with Samoa. before and since the
conclusion of the General Act, and recites
the policy we have pursued toward the
islands.
at is in our relations with Samoa"
says the Secretary. that we have made
the first departure from our traditional
entangling alliances with foreign powers
in relation to objects remote from this
hemisphere. Like all other human
transactions, the wisdom OF that depart
ure must be tested by its fruits. Ii there
be no evidence OF detriment suffered be-
fore its application, or of advantage since
gained, we are confronted with the serl-
Gus responsibility OF having, without
sufficient grounds, imposed policy
which is not only coequal with our Gov
ernment, but which may in great meas
ure be ascribed the peace, prosperity and
the general influence of the United States.
''ln 1873 a special representative named
Steinberger was sent to the islands by
the Secretary of State for the express
purpose. of obtaining information in re-
gard TO their condition. This step seems
to have been suggested by certain highly
respectable commercial persons who
represented the opportunities In strength
ening our commerce relations In that
quarter ofthe globe, and by circumstance
IN the preceding year. A naval officer of
the United States, acting on his response
bility, entered into an agreement with
the Great Chief OF the bay of Pago-Pago
whereby the latter while protesting his
wish for the friendship and protection OF
the United States, granted to this Gov
ernment the exclusive privilege of estab
fishing in that harbor naval station. In
MAY. 1872, President Grant communi-
Gated this agreement TO the Senate, say
ing ke would not hesitate to recommend
It's approval, for the protection 10 which
il seemed to pledge the United States, but
it does not appear that the United States
took any action on the agreement
Secretary Gresham continues with an
account of Steinberger's connection with
Samoa and his efforts TO bring about the
annexation OF the islands TO this country;
his unauthorized promise to the islanders
=, fo1 ]
his final deportation from the islands on
man-ot-war.
The Steinberger-G -Godeffrey episode is
also recounted ION January g. 1878,
there was concluded at Washington the
treaty which up to the ratification 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 pro-
dnced by a discriminating examination
of these treaty stipulations is that they
were inspired rather by an amicable de-
sire on the part of our Government not
10 appear TO be insensible 70 the friendly
advances of the Samoan 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 in
terests might seem TO require.
1.-The occasion to make good the obliga-
ton OF the United States under the treaty
of 1878, re-employing good officers in be-
half of the Samoan Government, arose
in 1888, when DIR. Steubel, the German
Consul, took possession OF all the land
in the municipality OF Apia. so far as
the Samoan Government sovereign rights
in it were concerned, to hold1t as secur-
ity until an understanding with the Gov
ernment should be arrived at for the
protection of German interests. As a
counter demonstration, the American
Consul Green baum, raised the American
flag and proclaimed protectorate. Sub
sequentIy our Ministers at London and
Berlin were instructed to say that the
claim of an American protectorate over
Samoa by the Y nlted States Consul at
Apia was unauthorized and disapproved,
no protectorate by any foreign power
being desired; and to suggest that the
British and German Ministers at Wash
ington be instructed TO confer with the
Secretary of State with the view OF the
establishment of order"
The Secretary detailsat some length the
facts connected with the tripartite pro-
tectorate in Samoa, the establishment of
new form of government, the election
of Malietoa as King, the reluctance of the
natives to accept the new regime, the re-
sort to coercive measures, the declaration
of war In 1893, the intervention of the
treaty powers and Mataafa and eleven
other chiefs. Then followed the appoint
ment of Henry c. Ide as Chief Justice
and the present trouble in Samoa.
The Secretary concludes as follows:
'sSoberly surveying the history OF our re-
lations with Samoa, we well may inquire
what we have gained by our departure
from our established policy, beyond the
expense. the responsibility and the en-
tanglements that have SO far been the
only fruits? One of the great difficulties
in dealing with matters that lie at a
distance, is the fact that Imagination is
no longer restrained by the contempla-
tion of objects in their real proportion.
Our experience in the case of Samoa
serves to show that for our usual exemp-
ton from the consequences of this we are
indebted to the wise policy that had pre-
viously preserved US from such engage
ments as those in the general act in Ber-
lin, which, besides involving us in an
entangling alliance. has utterly failed to
correct, if indeed it has not aggravated.
the very ills it was designed to prevent"
COXEY'S PLANTS.
The House Committee Reports in Favor
tHt,