The times., 1899-04-26
WEDNESDAY. APRIL &c. 1899.
An rnplen.ant Incident.


II Is substantial satisfaction to think
that the Coghlan Incident is practically
closed and that the inexcusable foolishness
of our Jack ashore" is no longer iiksiy
TO cause trouble between two great na-
tions the Governments and intelligent
people Of which have been for some time
seriously bent upon living together in
peace and amity. The State Department
has assured the representative OF Ger
many at this Capital that Captain Cogh-
Ian will be dealt with by his superiors
with such severity as his offence may
make proper, after due Investigation and
Ambassador Won Holleben appears to have
accepted this assurance in the frank and
friendly spirit that already has marked
his diplomacy in this country with uni
yersal approval and success.
Where each party affected by such an
incident is disposed 10 assume the Others
amiability and bona fides 1t is not SO diff
fcult to find way ont of the trouble
That the German Government is p,acid
and kindly in its treatment of the pres mt
case ought TO be evidence that Emperor
wilhelm really wishes to be our friend.
From that point of view the situstion is
encouraging. The American people have
been in state of great irritation over the
actions of Vice Admiral Won Diederich in
Manila Bay ever since last summer. TIE
Kaiser has done all that could be expected
of him to remove that irritation, by dis
ayowing his naval commanders truculence
and bad manners. But for subsequent
events of a deplorable international com-
plexion in Samoa, all that matter would
have been forgotten. American opinion
has not been of late excited by the in
imical expressions Of a part of the Ger
man press, which indeed are taken to
represent the views of a faction in the
Empire quite as much in opposition to the
policy of the Imperial Government as il
is to mutually advantageous trade re-
iations with the United States The Sa-
moan question. through the good offices
OF the Kaiser and President Mckinley. and
the sensible. open diplomacy of Dr. Won
Hoileben and Secretary Hay, is well ad-
vanced toward an amicable solution.
coghlan remains as the only cloud, and
happily it is an inconsiderable one, no
bigger than the volume OF vapor which
may be supposed to come out of a cham
payne bottle, or, in the present instance.
perhaps. three bottles.
Probably the episode. regrettable as il
must be regarded. in the end may serve a
good purpose Officials of one sort or anoth-
er on either side have offended etiquette
and the ethics of international relations.
The exeitable people and newspapers of
both countries have made faces and used
profane language. On that score the honors
appear TO be even. Il would seem that.
having satisfied our national seIf-respect
by apologizing TO the Emperor for Cogh-
lan's impoiiteness. he might now Join with
the American Government and people in
smoking the pipe Of peace. and making
a tsbula rasa of the whole mutual fric-
iion and misunderstanding from beginning
10 end.
As TO coghlan. ii is happy thing that
the desires Of both Governments are in the
direction they happen TO be- Firebrands
such as he have exploded international
powderhouses and brought on devastating
wars before now. 1t was a much less fla
grant. though a more directly personal i'm
Dertinence TO Wilhelm / of which Count
Benedetti was guilty al Ems. that precipi-
tated the Franco Prussian war II matters
not how small degree of satisfaction may
be sufficient 10 meet Berlin Foreign Office
views Of propriety in the premises: this
Government owes it to its own dignity and
safety to make an example of an officer
capable. even under conditions of social
exhilaration. OF such dangerous conduct as
that which is aseribed TO Coghlan.