New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-09
PRICE THREE CENTS
ANXIOUS TO DESERT SAMOA.
CLEVELAND AND OLNEY INDULGE IN
MORE QUEER DIPLOMACY.
THEY WANT TO WITHDRAW THE UNITED STATES
FROM THE BERLIN AGREEMENT-Io-
NoRED BY GERMANY. =.

NoRED BY GERMANY
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.]
Washington, Nov S.-The Administration has
again ventured on the troublous sea Of diplomacy
and met with disaster. AS in former cases. rota-
bly, that Of Hawaii, 1t endeavored to bring aooue
a radical change in the country's foreign obnss-
tions. This time the effort was directed toward
Samoan affairs. The President sought through
the State Department. relief from the rights ana
duties imposed upon tn. country under the ber-
lin Treaty His intention was to give up tho
many advantages that accrue to the United
States in pursuance of the terms OF that act IN
return for relief from numerous responsibilities
and consequent petty expenses and annoyances
that devolve upon the country as result OF such
benefits Stated in a word. the President, speak
ing through Secretary Olney, has proposed 10
Germany that the Berlin Treaty be abrogated'
on the ground that the provisions OF the agrees
ment imposed conditions unsatisfactory 70 tne
United States Germany's reply to the PROPOSE
tion has been received at the State Department
To the CONSERVATION Of the authorities 1t merely
| acknowledges the receipt Of Secretary Olneys
note.
The story Of this. the latest Administrative
b,under--for such It will be regarded by every
| one who is familiar with the Samoan situation
is interesting President Cleveland has. as 10
we'll known. persistently endeavored to free hiS
Administration from the obligations OF the ber"
lin Treaty His efforts in this direction may %
said to have begun in 1888. In his message to
! Congress in December Of that year he announced
| that King Malietoa offered to place Samoa under
| the protection of the United States. that tho
| American Consul assumed to grant it, but that
the proceeding was disavowed under instruc-
tions from Washington and the OFFENDING Consu'
recalled That was great but lost opportunity
for the country in the minds OF such men as Sen'
ators Sherman, Lodge Davis ana MORGAN ="
the same message the President made the staee'
ment-which is quite inconsistent with his pres
ent yiews-that under changes OF personnel the"
contemplated the peace prosperity autono-
nous administration and neutrality OF samos
can hardly fail to be secured"
THINKS 1T AN ENTANGLING ALLIANCE.
But It has been during his present Adminis-
! .ro,ior that Mr. Cleye and has been most earnest
in his public expressions condemnatory OF the
workings OF the treaty which makes the Uniteo
! e-tates one of three Powers to control the az
| fairs of Samoa. On several occasions ne mas
| spoken emphatically of what ne cai'eu .ne
mistake OF this country being involved WIN
Germany and England in Samoa, ana tine i"-
nolicv of entangling alliances with 1oreis"
| Powers"
A fac, which IS not generally known Is thae
Senator Gray, in April, 1894, rled 10 se' '"o
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations u aoop'
the Presidents views concerning the country
samoan relations. At that time Senator Gray
| nroposed the idea Of abrogating the ner""
treaty. and thus relieving the United States OK
,,s oh,,sat,ons under that act. His wishes were
not carried out, Senator Morgan. OF his own
n.rtv besides all the Republicans on the com"
| ro,ttee opposing them. He sought to influence
tho committee by some long-wnded corresponds
| ence which had accumulated in the STATE De'
partment touching Samoan anairs. Ihese ie'-
ters he obtained through a resolution cai''"s
upon the State Department to furnish the"'
Senator Gray was then known to be acting ZOE
the President. The failure OF his committee :"
! act fayoratly upcn his suggestions was there~
fore an indirect reouff to the ADMINISTRATOR.
II has been said that Senator Morgan quo'e"
come of the words of the President In his spe-
cial message to Congress. dated January Id
1850 in obiecting to any action by the Senate
looking to the withdrawal OF this country i'o"'
the Rerlin Treaty The words he quoted were'
..1,b,s eroun of islands lies in the direct high-
way of a growing and important commerce De-
tween Australia and the United States" Sena-
FOR Morgan also said that Samoa was the Soutn"
! ern Pacific key TO the Nicaraguan Canai.
The Senate committee seriously considereo
Senator Grays proposition. and, upon dehoera-
ton. rejected it on the ground that whhe thero
rigbt no some annoyances and expenses TO this
country connected with the execution OF tho
provisions OF the Berlin act. the advantages
gained under that treaty greatly outweighed the
disadvantages.
COUNTING WITHOUT THE SENATE
II was not until recently that the President
decided to take the matter In his own hands
and endeavor TO secure a release for the Gov
ernment from the trpartite agreement. no
will Of course be criticised for his course py
Congress 1t is said by his apologsts that no
regarded the situation as calling for immediate
action but the Senate will undoubtedly say no
n this When all the correspondence on the sub
iect becomes public 1t will appear that the Az.
ministraton has exaggerated the Importance or
MANY notify matters and In considering these
has Iost sight of the one main point That is'
that Germany probably and England possioy
would get exclusive control over samoa II tns
United States withdrew from the tripartits
compact. and thus control the destiny or the
prorn which lies "in the direct highway OF
growing and important commerce between
Australia and the United States
The exact date when Secretary Oiney' speak"
ing for the President. wrote to Ambassador Uni
Is not known. That detail is unimportant' how'
ovor What Mr. Oney said is Of consequence.
He Informed Mr.. Uh that the obligations OF
the Berlin Treaty had become irksome IN the
oxtreme and that this country sought to be
rn,tavad of the embarrassment and expense that
ire provisions entalled He proposed. therefore.
that the treaty be abrogated He was willing
enourh that q. rmany and England should ad-
hers 10 the agreement but said that the United
states wished to withdraw His reason for max.
ing the proposition was stated In some detail.
hut the effect OF 1t that the Berlin Treaty
i,nnoged conditions upon this country which
were far from satisfactory. and that being the
case II was duty and obligation on the part
~ the United States to suggest abrogation In
so far as il was concerned.
Gerrnanys reply must have been highly morti-
flying to the Administration. Mr.; Oineys note