Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-07
THINK THEY HAVE HAD THE WORST
.4.----.-.-. OF IT IN SAMOA.
BLAME GREAT BRITAIN MOST
THEY ARE ALSO SORE OVER Az.
FAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Feel That German Claims for Dam.
ages Have Not Received Proper
CONFEDERATION at the Hands
of the United States
Authorities.
Copyright. 1899. by the Associated Press.o

Copyright 1899. by the Associated Press)
BERLIN, May 6.-Tile belief has taken
complete possession of the public mind in
Germany that German interests in Samoa
have been brutally and ruthlessly disre
garded by both England and the United
States. 1t seems that this view is steadily
gaining strength with nearly all classes.
The press certainly reflects the sentiment
with increasing violence. The government
has done nothing the past week, either to
fortify or to dispel this trend of public
opinion. The government press has been
strangely silent upon the subject.
The Agrarian newspapers and many
other journals have seized the occasion
of the birthday anniversary of the imperial
minister for foreign affairs. Baron Won
Buelow, to severely attack him for what
they style his supine disregard of Ger
manys legitimate interests in Samoa and
his alleged obsequiousness toward Great
Britain and the United States. The mat
ter of claims for damages both in Samoa
and the Philippine islands, for German
property destroyed in the recent engage
ments has also been injected into the press
ment, the assertion being made that the
United States meant to disregard these
lust claims The imperial foreign office,
however. has done nothing to create or
foster this condition of public feeling
In the course of an interview with the
correspondent here of the Associated Press
the United States ambassador to Germany,
Andrew D. White, said:
THE question of German claims for
damages for property destroyed in the Phil
ippines islands or in Samoa in consequence
OF acts of our naval or land forces. was
never once mentioned during all the confer
| ences which have had with the imperial
minister of foreign affairs So far as 1 am
aware, no such question has yet come up
| at the foreign office. At any rate, it is
| too early to discuss the subject, as no evil
dence, pro or con, has been advanced
on either side"
1t appears that the whole basis for the
| wholesale charges i'll the newspapers with
| regard to these alleged enormous damages
Is a few private letters received from the
Philippine islands and Samoa, in which the
winters seek to make out a case in ad-
vance. The Vossische Zeitung and other
| journals have reproduced two of these let
tiers, taking for granted all that was there
| in claimed, and arguing on the lines pre-
ScHScu ny luc WIltSTS OI the letters, VINO,
| among number of alleged facts, asserted
that Major General Otis, at Manila, had
bluntly declined to recognize any German
claims for damages. When United States
| Ambassador White was asked about this
| matter by the Associated Press correspond
ent he was very reticent, only saying:
"Of course the reports of General Otis
on any of these cases would have great
weight with the state department, but, in
any event, the final adjustment of such
claims must be made at Washington and
not at Manila"
The kreuz Zeitung, in the course of an
editorial article that has attracted a great
deal OF attention said:
Despite the African agreement between
england and Germany, and despite the civ
lllues 1nterchanged. this extraordinarily
perhdtous action in Samoa was planned by
the English. who kept in the background
and sent some American hotspurs to the
front IN order to establish the fact of an
Anglo american Observation-Disclosures and
embroil Germany and the United States
rendered next to impossible. This much
Is certain, that the friendly understnd-
Ing between the United States and Ger
many is combination that British state
craft just now relishes least of ALL"
The North German Gazette, mentioning
reports that English and American mer-
Germany annex the whole of the group,
bitterly attacks the imperial foreign office
ior suppressing this statement and keeping
it out of the press.
1T The Agrarian Deutsche Tages zeitung, in
attitude toward the United States during
the past year, blames the imperial foreign
office with "knuckling down to the Amer
leans leans. in & every case. even recalling the
Manila, so as not to hurt the feelings of
messieurs, the Americans" The article
concludes as follows:
Only by now showing a bold and un-
yielding front can the prestige of the en-
pire, which has suffered so seriously lat
terly, be re-established."
The same newspapers and number of
others blame the emperor for showing too
much friendliness toward Americans, and
charge President Mckinley with gross
want of tact in not replying to Emperor
Williams telegram of congratulation on
the subject of the new transatlantic cable
in German, and thus outraging all inter-
national courtesy" On the other hand.
the Berlin Tageblatt, the Cologne Gazette
and a large part of the Liberal press take
more rational view of the relations be-
tween Germany and the United States, al
ludng to the good will of the United States
as recently shown on several occasions in
highly complimentary terms.