Evening star., 1897-03-05
Some That the New Administration
Will Be Confronted With.
INTEREST IN TIE CUBAN SITUATION
The Alaskan Boundary and the
Protection of the Seals.
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION


ton Of power SO many and important
questions affecting the foreign relations of
the United States as confront Presden.
Mckinley and his premier, Secretary Sher-
man. All Of these are important, and
while some of them may be for a time
kept in the background, others, and those
of the utmost gravity, are likely to force
themselves upon the attention of the new
administration in such persistent man.
ner that they must be met promptly. In
the list of open diplomatic issues are some
old Neutrality-suspicious. that were rGnning
along in diplomatic, time-killing fashion
when President Harrison turned over fhe
helm of the snip of state to President
Cleveland; but the latter, in his time and
with the best of intentions. and in spite of
the most heroic efforts. was obliged TO add
to the list and make new issues Of his own
sian before he, in turn, gave way to Presi-
dent Mckinley.
The Cuban Insurrection.
Foremost and of the greatest interest to
the people of the United States. because Of
the strife that is being waged under their
very eyes, Is the subject of our relations
toward Cuba. For over two years the in
surrection on the ever faithful isle has
gone on, and from the confusion of reports
that reach the Department of State it is
not possible to accurately and surely as
certain the exact conditions of this strug-
gle, which, as President Cleveland has
stated in his messages to Congress- has in
volved in itself interests of enormous value
to citizens of the United States. 1t is un-
derstood to be the desire of the new ad-
mlnistration, after securing full protection
and respect for American citizens in Cuba
to deal with this matter deliberately and
not to make any abrupt and radical change
OF general policy until at least our impor-
tant internal financial affairs are adjusted.
But The subject is of explosive nature
and 1t Is no. safe to predict that through
some overt and outrageous act of subor-
dinate. among either the Spanish forces or
IN the 1nsurgent lines Something like the
Virgtnius affair, for ins:ance), the admins
tration will not be forced to depart from it's
plans and direct its attention at short no.
uce to this dangerous subject.
Hawaiian Annexation.
One of the issues thai were carried over
from the Harrison administration is the
subject of Hawaiian annexation The cfti-
Gems of the little island republic have come
to look upon the republicans as their friends
and they will seek. with the aid of powerful
friends in and out Of Congress, to induce
the President to negotiate a new annexa-
tion treaty at the earliest possible moment
The Alaskan Boundary.
With the mother country-England-ou
relations are so founded on reasonable and
mutual consideration that there is no
ground for apprehension that the subjects
pressing for the consideration of the dip;t-
matte agencies will not yield, in the end.
to the usual methods of treatment. This is
fortunate for the welfare of both countries
as some of these questions are of the great
est Importance and are easily capable If
treated In harsh and uncompromising
spirit, OF becoming the sources Of open
rupture.
OF such is the Alaskan boundary oues-
ton, and the proposed extensions Of the
regulations for the protection of the seals
IN Berlng sea. In the first instance though
some progress has been made by the
negotiation of treaty providing for the
location OF the Hist meridian which forms
the boundary line in the northern portion
OF Alaska, the most difficult phase yet
awaits final treatment, namely the draw
ing Of the boundary line in the southeast
made peculiarly troublesome because of the
absolute failure of the original treaty of
cession to follow well-defined geographical
lines. Nevertheless. the last administra ton
took the initial steps toward settlement
of this question. This was one of the
matters which were to have come first un-
der consideration had the general arbitra-
t1on treaty been ratified, and II this COM
pact Is long delayed in conclusion. the
southeast boundary question may have to
be settled by separate and special arbi-
tration.
protecting the Seals.
AS to the protection of seal life in Bering
sea, there are signs of unrest that indicate
necessity of early and decided action on
the part OF the State Department. Backed
by the highest kind of expert authority
Secretary Olney said, at the close of his
administration of the State Department.
THE fur seal herd is threatened with utter
ruin unless some changes are speedily made
In the award regulations" Yet he was
unable to induce the British government to
make these. Influenced as it was by fear
of the adverse effect upon the political
status of British Columbia, the home of the
seal pirates, which might find it's reflex in
all of her majesty's North American pos
sessions. Still Secretary Sherman must
speedily elect between the total and ire
trievable loss of the seal herds or a deter
mined 1nsistence upon an immediate
The general arbitration treaty, already
referred to, must either be pressed afresh
upon the Senate for ratification or must be
abandoned entirely. AS a senator, Mr..
Sherman has clearly indicated his wish for
the ratification of this pre-eminently i'm
portant convention, so it may fairly be
assumed that he will pursue the former
course Also as senator Mr.. Sherman was
the leader in bringing Congress to the sup
port of the administration in the threaten
| ing period when it was obliged, by a show
of actual force, to assert the interest of
the United States in the affairs Of Samoa,
SO he will doubtless be found resisting
sturdily all efforts to surrender our charge
under the tripartite alliance, which 1t is
certainly the wish of Germany, but not of
Great Britain, to terminate.
Germany and the Tariff.
The final enactment of the new tariff BILL
though some months removed, may put q
| severe strain upon our relations with some
| Of the great European powers and first of
all. with Germany. 1t is understood to be
the intention of Congress 10 provide for
! active retaliation upon the nations that
have SO unjustly barred American meat
products and cattle from their markets,
and among these Germany is the CHIEF Of
fender, though she has found willing fol-
lowers In other European countries. The
diplomatic history of the last administra-
ton has many chapters devoted to urgent
protests against such acts Of Injustice.
Complaints Of the unwholcsomencss of
! our meats have been responded to by the
United States by the establishment of the
most rigid system of inspection. and our
challenges to produce evidence of the
| charges have resulted in miserable failure
| on the part of the accusers to make their
charges good. A long series of consular
l 10 he rh