Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-11-11
10 DESERT SAMOA.
President and Sec. 0iney Advise
Abandonment BY United States.
essmany's curt and Discourseous Reply to
Note Of Sec. 0lnsy.

troublous sea of diplomacy and met
with disaster. As in former cases, no
tably that of Hawaii, it endeavored to
bring about a radical change in the
countrys foreign obligations This
time the effort was directed toward
Samoan affairs. The President sought.
through the state department, relieE
from the rights and duties imposed
upon the country under the Berlin
treaty. His intention was to give up
the many advantages that accrue 10
the United States in pursuance OF the
terms of that act in return FOR rehei
from numerous responsibilities anu
consequent petty expenses ana annoy
ances that devolve upon the country
as a result of such benefits. Stateu III
a word, the President, speaking
through Secretary Olney, has proposed
to Germany that the Berlin treaty be
abrogated on the ground that the pre-
visions of the agreement imposed con-
dit;ons unsatisfactory to the United
States. Germanys reply to the prop
osition has been received at the state
department. To the CONSERVATION OF
the authorities, it merely ac-
knowledges the receipt OF Secretary
Olney's note.
The story of this, the latest admin
istratiye blunder-for such it will be
regarded by every one who is familiar
with the Samoan situation-is inter
esting. President Cleveland has, as is
well known, persistently endeavored
to free his administration from the OBJ
legations of the Berlin treaty. HIS Ell
forts in this direction may be said to
have begun in 1888. In his message to
Congress in December of that year he
announced that King Malieota offered
to place Samoa under the protection of
the United States, that the American
consul assumed to grant it. but that
the proceeding was disavowed under
instructions from Washington and the
offending consul recalled. That was
a great but lost opportunity for the
country in the minds Of such men as
Senators Sherman, Lodge. Davis and
Morgan In the same message the
President made the statement-which
is quite inconsistent with his present
views-that, under changes of person
mel then contemplated, the peace,
prosperity, autonomous administra
ton ana neutrality OI SdIlod can
hardly fail to be secured"
But it has been during his present
administration that Mr.. Cleveland has
been most earnest in his public express
sions condemnatory of the workings
of the treaty which makes the United
States one of three Powers to control
the affairs of Samoa. On several oc-
casions he has spoken emphatically of
what he called the mistake of this
country being involved with Germany
and England in Samoa, and the i'm
policy of entangling alliances with
foreign Powers
A fact which is not generally known
is that Senator Gray, in April. 1894,
tried to get the Senate committee on
foreign relations to adopt the Presi-
dents views concerning the country's s
Samoan relations. At that time Sem
ator Gray proposed the idea of abro-
eating the Berlin treaty. and thus re-
lieving the United States OF it's Obliga
tions under that act. His wishes were
not carried out, Senator Morgan, of
his own party, besides all the Repub
llcans on the committee. opposing
them. He sought to influence the COM
mittee by some long winded corre-
spondence which had accumulated in
the state department touching Samo-
an affairs These letters he obtained
through resolution calling upon the
state department to furnish them.
Senator Gray was then known to be
acting for the President. The failure
Of his committee to act favorably up
nv, hnr n
indirect rebuff to the administration.
1t has been said that Senator Morgan
quoted some Of the words of the Pres
ident in his special message to Con-
gress, dated January IS, 1889, in OBJ
Getting to any action by the Senate
looking to the withdrawal of this
country from the Berlin treaty. The
words he quoted were: This group
of islands lies in the direct highway
of a growing and important commerce
between Australia and the United
States" Senator Morgan also said
that Samoa was the Southern Pacific
key to the Nicaraguan Canal.
The Senate committee seriously con-
sidered Senator Gray's proposition
and, upon deliberation, rejected it or
the ground that while there might be
some annoyances and expenses to this
country connected with the execution
OF the provisions of the Berlin act, the
advantages gained under that treaty
greatly outweighed the disadvantages
1t was not until recently that the
President decided to take the matter
in his own hands and endeavor 10 Sc.
cure a release for the government
from the tripartite agreement. Fl,
will. of course. be criticised for hi
apologists that he regarded the stu
alton as calling for immediate action
but the Senate will undoubtedly sa,
no to this. When all the correspond
ence on the subject becomes public i
will appear that the administration
has exaggerated the importance o
many petty matters, and in consider
ing these has lost sight of the on
main point. That is, that German,
probably and England possibly woul
get exclusive control over Samoa
the United States withdrew from tn
tripartite compact, and thus contrc
the destiny of the group which lies Il
the direct highway of a growing an
important commerce between Aus
tralia and the United States"
The exact date when Secretary OF
ney. speaking for the President wrot
to Ambassador Uhl is not know
That dototl To- ,,c;,x.-o,4.~A