Newspaper Page Text
VOL. VI, NO. 2,110.
FOR JOINT DEBATE.
Joe James Challenges Tom Watson, the
Leader o' the Populists.
IT IS SAID WATSON WILL DECLINE
On the Plea that James Holds a
Government Position.
WATSON SPEAKS TO-DAY AT SENEY.
The Populist Leader Gives James a Roast
ing in His Paper—James is a Bad
Spea' ©:• to Handle.
Atlanta, September 10.—Joe James
is on the political war path.
He is after the populistic scalp of
Tom Watson, and he proposes to take it
at Canton tomorrow if Watson will only
give him a chance to do so.
Mr. James made a speech the other
day at Forsyth in which he referred to
the charges made against Mr. Watson,
that he had used improperly the money
collected by him for campaign purposes,
and he also denounced as untrue certain
statements made by Watson in regard to
money called in and burned up by the
officials at Washington.
On Saturday Mr. Watson came back
at Mr. James through the columns of
the populists paper, the Daily Press.
Mr. James has challeged Mr. Wat
so, who is booked to speak: at Canton to
morrow, to meet him in a joint debate
on the questions under discussion. Mr.
Watson was not in the city this morning,
but his first lieutenant, Major Charlie
McGregor,said that he could not discuss
with James, who was a democratic
office holder, and who was consequently
speaking for the money there was in his
job.
Mr. James is a tip top man in a rough
and tumble debate. He gives no rapier
thrusts but hits every head that shows
sledge hammer blows. He speaks to
the point without any unnecessary trim
mings. and if Watson will meet him
he’ll have his hands full in taking care
of himself against the attacks of the
"little country lawyer.”
. A FEARFUL DEATH.
A Young Laxly of Jonesboro Thrown From
» Buggy.
Jonesboro, Ga,,September 10 —A fatal
accident occurred here yesterday,which
has caused universal sorrow in the com
munity.
Among the attendants at the Baptist
church yesterday morning were Mr.
Tom Mann ard his sister, Miss Mattie.
They live about four miles from Jones
boro and came to town in a buggy.
When the services were dismissed Mr.
Mann and his sister started home after
stopping a while at the church door to
speak to friends.
When about two miles from the city
the horse became frightened and started
to run away.
Mr. Mann in his efforts to control the
horse, was thrown out. Miss Mattie
then attempted to jump from the vehi
cle. In doing so, her head struck the
iron tire of the wheel.
Mr. Mann summoned help and Miss
Mattie was taken into a house near by,
where she died in a few minutes.
It is supposed the blow on the head
produced a hemorrhage in the brain.
The young lady was greatly esteemed
in this community, were she had many
friends. Se belongs to one of the best
families in this county and the sad ac
cident is greatly deplored.
THE GOVERNOR HIDES OUT
To Avoid Arrest—Mississippi Officials Get
Into Trouble.
Atlanta, Ga, September 10—Andrew
Sone, of Mississippi, was arrested this
afternoon and Governor Stone and State
Treasury Evans had to hide out.
The governor and treasurer will be ar
rested tomorrow. They are charged
with issuing and circulating warrants
on the state treasury, which resemble
National Bank notes. The warrants
were meant to take {the place of state
bonds.
THE SOUTH BOOMING
John Inman Wm» In Atlanta Yesterday,
and Im Enth H«ia*tlc.
Atlanta, Ga., September 10.—John
Inman who was here today, said the
south is on the eve of a era of great
prosperity.
He said the Southern will get Con
trol,of Cincinnati Southern and Alabama
Great Southern railways.
BASEBALL YESTERDAY,
Baltimore, Boatou Hlifl New York Karli a
Gaine.
Washington, September 10.—Baseball
games were played today with the fol
lowing results:
Baltimore, 15;Louisville,6.
New York, 13, Cleveland, 4.
Boston, 25, Chicago, 8.
The Pittsburg—Philadelphia game
was postponed.
SHOT THE BLACKSMITH.
A Woman in Jail for the Crime—Her H«hj
Helped Her.
Jackson, Mo., Sept.. 10.—Mrs. Mary
Ellworth, of Oriole,'so years old, is in
jail here charged with the murder of
Henry Stiff, a blacksmith, and her
neighbor. Bad feeling existed on ac
•« nhnrwwi airainst Stiff
THE ROME TRIBUNE.
and counter charges against tne grown
daughter of Mrs. Ellworth.
The latter, her son, Pressley, and her
daughter drove to the home of Stiff. He
was called out, and without a wont
Mrs. Ellworth began firing on him at
close range. Stiff ran, pursued by the
woman, who emptied her revolver into
him. The son also discharged the con
tents of a musket into Stiff’s back.
Presley Ellworth has not been captured.
MRS. GLASSCOCK.
Fenator Stewart's Tormenter Is a North
Carolina Woman.
Washington, . Sept. 10.—Following
so closely upon the revelations in the
Breckinridge case, the story of the
charges made against the venerable
Senator Stewart by Mrs. Charles Glass
cock has not been without interest, but
here in Washington it has attracted lit
tle attention. The general Impression
is that the Nevada senator is, as he
claims, the victim of an attempt to
blackmail. But Mrs. Glasscock protests
with tears that her story, as published,
is true.
Mrs. Glasscock is a southern woman.
She resides now in a forlorn little house,
at 518 M street, a poor quarter of the
city. She came here, according to her
story, from North Carolina. She claims
to be 28 years old, though she is a moth
er of five children- She was married at
the age of 18. She is slight of- figure,
and of the blonde type. She is not
handsome, but her face is not withou'
evidence of refinement. Trouble and
ill health have had their effect upon
her.
Mrs. Glasscock’s maiden name was
Carrie Brady. Her father was a farniei
of Iredell county, North Carolina. The
family were presbyterians, and when
she became a Catholic and married
Glasscock, a livery keeper, of dissipated
habits, they threw her off.
Mrs. Glasscock says she lives now only
for her • children, and that to defend
them and clear her own name she will
stay here until the courts do her justice.
A BIT OF A BABY.
It la Well Formed and Featured, but It
WMglitJ Only Nine Ounce*.
New Orleans, Sept. 10.—Mr. George
Frome, an employe of the Crescent City
Railroad compafly, is the father of per
haps the smallest living baby in the
world. The child is a boy, perfect in
form, with regular features. Its weight
is nine ounces. From the crown of its
head to the soles of its feet is about 10
inches. Its arms are not larger than a
man's thumb and its legs in proportion.
It is in the best of health, and its mother
says it can cry as vigorously as any
other baby.
Mr. Frome is 45 years old, weighs 175
pounds and is hale and hearty. The
mother is 44 years old and weighs 125
pounds The couple have had 17 chil
dren, two of whom, besides the baby,
are Lilliputians. One of them is Frank.
18 years old, weight 40 pounds, who is
with a circus company. The other is
12 years old and weighs a little over 15
pounds.
ONE EYE ON IT.
Abdul Aziz'* Throne Menaced by a Re
bellion in Morocco.
Tangier, Sept. 10. lnformation
comes from Fez, one of the capitals of
the empire of Morocco, and also from
Rabot, that Mnley Mohammed, the one
eyed and the eldest son of the late Sul
tan, Muley Hassan, has been proclaimed
sultan (or emperor) at Morocco City, an
other capital, by the formidable rebel
tribes of the south.
Those tribes threatened to besiege
Fez, which is the present seat of gov
ernment, headquarters of the ruling re
cognized Sultan, Abdul Aziz.
The rebellion is spreading and the
situation has become still more compli
cated.
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
The Man Who Fired the Wood, in Wis
consin Found.
Ashland, Wis., Sept. 10.—Settlers
around Marengo, which place was de
stroyed by the recent forest fire, have
caused the arrest of Mike Ropeler, who
is charged with having set the fire
which swept over this region, destroyed
Marengo and Agney and eight lives.
The prisoner was hustled off to Ashland,
and has been placed in the county jail
here for safe keeping, as the feeling
against him among the homesteaders is
very bitter.
Ropeler was bound over to the circuit
court by Judge Foster.
Appointed an A. P. A. Man.
Youngstown, 0., Sept. 10. The
board of city commissioners has re
moved from office Chief of Police John
F. Cantwell and appointed in his stead
William McDowell, a policeman. This
is the outcome of a row which has been
in progress for a year, It is charged
that the American Protective association
has been principally instrumental in
bringing about the change. Cantwell
is a Catholic, and the new chief is an
avowed opponent of the Roman church.
Rt*l»HNp<l the Schooner.
Toronto, Sept. 10.—The two United
States fishing schooners Visitor and Le
roy Brooks, seized at Point Potee for al
leged infringement of the fishery laws,
have been released upon an order of the
admiralty court. In reference to the
seizure of the United States schooner
Grace, off Point t'o)b<>rni‘, an order lias
been made for the trial of action at St.
Catherines, Sept. 28,
Kottwnrh’M Sou Burred
London, Sept, 10 A corn .poudunt
in Vienna writing t< Th Daily News
says that the Hung.mar. government
has refused to lei Enim:;- Kos; nth stand
for parliame'.r. T ' r -.uson
Is that he is not a Ht; ’■ «n’>j<-ct.
ROME, GA., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER. 11, 1894.
RAIN DOES DAMAGE
To the Cotton Crop and There is a De
cided Falling Off.
THE SEPTEMBER REPORT IS OUT.
The Averages By States and
Comparisons.
MUCH WEED AND TOO LITTLE FRUIT.
Tile Average This Year. However, is Twelve
Points Higher Than Last Year.
Shedding, Rotting and Rust.
Washington, Sept. to.—The Septem
ber report of the statistician of the de
partment of agriculture makes cotton
show a decline of 5.9 points from the
August condition, which. was 91.8
against 85.9 for this month. The condi
tion of the plant in the month of June
was 88.3, rising to 89.6 in July, and to
91.8 last month, as stated.
The ’August condition for the year of
1893 was 8014, and the September con
dition for the same year was 73.4, a
falling off of seven points. The Sep
tember condition for this year is 12.5
points higher than that of 1893.
The state averages are: Virginia,
100; North Carolina, 88; South Carolina,
86; Georgia, 84; Florida, 82; Alabama,
80; Mississippi, 85; Louisiana, 91; Texas,
84; Arkansas, 89; Tennessee, 84; Mis
souri, 93.
The prine’"''] cause of the decided de
cline in con iition since the last report
was the excessive rainfall throughout
the larger part of the cotton belt, pro
ducing too great a growth of weed and
checking the development of the fruit :
and also causing shedding, rotting and
rust.
The general tenor of the reports is too
much rain and heat, causing too great
a growth of weed and too little fruit.
COTTON IN JAPAN.
Now Is a Good Time for the South to
Move for Business.
Washington, Sept. 10.—The state de
partment is in receipt of a report from
United States Consul Mclvor of Kanag
awa, Japan, upon the manufacture of
cotton fabrics from American cotton,
pointing out the great opportunity now
afforded the United States to open up
direct trade with Japan. He says:
Japanese manufacturers are each year
Improving the grade of their cotton fabrics
ana are thus demanding a larger nropor
tion of our cotton, which is the only long
staple cotton which can lie used in’ their
machines economically; yet by far the
greater proportion of this large supply of
American cotton is purchased in Liver
pool ami London. The supposed explana
tion of this peculiar condition is that the
ocean rates from England to Japan are
much less than the combined railway and
ocean rates from an inland point ♦« Japan.
If these statements are true our 'W.ple are
losing the selling commission, or profit,
and the marine insurance and freightage
on a product which is distinctively an
American staple.
Remembering that the market here is
not one that is to lie opened up and de
veloped. but is already made, and that
the demand for the American product is
not only great, but increasing, it might
be possible for our great cotton interests,
acting in harmony with our transconti
nental railway lines, to establish direct
trade which would, even on a much lower
freight rate, swell the profits of the rail
ways and greatly increase the general
profits arising from American foreign
trade. We might thus, if successful,
gain direct control of a trade which would
not only turn legitimate profits in Ameri
can channels, but a much broader and far
reaching advantage would be gained by
giving us an independent market, thus
materially weakening and ultimately de
stroying the right which today Liverpool
Is supposed to exercise in fixing the price
of our cotton in our own markets on the
theory that she controls the only market
for our product.
Mr. Mclvor adds that the present
time is very opportune for extending
our trade with Japan, and points to the
Significant fact that during last year
oor Importation from that country ex
ceeded 817,000,000, while our exports
wore but $3,000,000.
Cotton Pickers in Iroubie.
Columbia, S. C., Sept. 10.—At Gour
dins, in Williamsburg county, negro la
borers recently combined to put up the
price of picking cotton, stipulating 50
cents per 100 pounds as a minimum
rate. On three occasions during the
past week they visited other negroes
who refused to act with them and
thrashed them with harness traces. The
sheriff of Williamsburg has arrested six
ringleaders of the mob and warrants
are out for 20 others.
Killed u Whole Garrison.
Buenos Ayres, Sept. 10.—A corre
spondent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
sends word that the federate in the
province of Rio Grande do Sul have
taken Tacna City and killed the garri
son. The town of Melo, Uruguay, is
full of revolutionists who are preparing
to cross into Rio Grande do Stu, Brazil,
to join General Saraiva and renew the
fight. They declare that, they will raise
tpe flag of the monarchy upon their ar
rival .
Fatal Wreck in Illinois.
Chicago, Sept. 10.—A fatal wreck oc
curred Sunday night on the Chicago
and Northwestern railroad at Carring
ton, 31 nir js from this city. Fireman
McManu oi the passenger train was in
stautly killed. Mrs Rachel Jeffries ol
Capron, ills, a passenger, was fatally
Injured. J. F. Bliss of Boston had his
leg broken, his head cut mid was badly
bruised. A. J. Boudreau* W.ail clerk,
and Engineer Sterns are MiSo Injured,
but not seriously.
PITTSBURG PARADE
Os the Grand Army of the Republic Be*
gan In Rain.
VERY MANY JOLLY TARWERE IN IT.
Twenty-Eighth National En
campment of theG. A. R.
COME FROM ALL OVER THE NATION.
A Drenching Downpour Opened the Day-
But J upiter Pluvius Gave the Mat
ter a Second Thought.
Pittsburg, Sept. 10.—Leaden, skies
and a drenching downpour that started
the colors of the elaborate street decora
tions to running and gave them a tem
porary demoralized appearance, ushered
in the opening day of the Twenty-eighth
national encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
It was not a very appreciative greet
ing for the veterans who were up and
around with the break of day, although
the jolly ex-tars, composing the fleet of
the Naval Veterans’ association, soon
rubbed their hands as they promenaded
the docks of their vessels on the Monon
gahela and declared that the seamen’s
land para<le without a watery accom
paniment would hardly lie considered
in proper form.
Jupiter Pluvius, however, evidently
gave the matter a second thought, for
after breakfast the clouds cleared away
and the sun shown brightly until the
tars had covered their route. Then in
termittent. showers made their appear
ance.
Nearly 1,000 ex-seamen representing
some 8,000 members scattered over the
country participated in the Seventh an-’
nual parade of the National Association
of Naval Veterans. It was the largest
turnout and finest in point of appear
ance in the history of the organization.
The firing of the admiral salute at 8
o’clock gave the signal for the various
local associations to form in line for in
spection
It was 9 1-2 o’clock when the head of
the column received the signal to move.
Along the line of march, which extend
ed from Smithfield street bridge through
the principal streets of the city to Cedar
avenue, in Allegheny, a distance of over
three miles, the sidewalks were packed
with spectators, and the ex-sailore were
gtyen repeated ovations.
A TOWN GONE.
Hom.lM. Woman and Children Standing
on Corners Crying.
Massillon, 0., Sept. 10.—The little
village of Dalton, located nine miles
north of here, was almost totally de
stroyed by fire during the early morn
ing. The fire originated in a stable and,
while the direct cause of the origin is
unknown, it is presumed it was prompt
ed by tramps taking quarters there for
the night.
The entire loss is estimated at $200,-
000. The heaviest being the Royal In
surance company.
The postoffice department and its en
tire contents are included in the fire.
The Canton, Massillon and Orrville
fire companies were hastily summoned
and responded, but their presence was
of no avail, as sufficient water could
not be procured to do any good. The
citizens are frantic with grief over the
loss of their business blocks and resi
dences, and homeless women and child
ren are seen on every corner crying bit
terly.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
That Railroad Disaster Sunday Cost Twelve
Lives and Many Injuries.
Paris, Sept. 10.—It is now known
that 12 persons were killed outright and
60 others injured in the accident to the
Cologne express between Noyon and
Chauny Sunday. The engineer of the
express stuck to his post, and, though
he escaped death, is badly hurt. The
fireman was killed. His side of the en
gine and the first three carriages were
shattered to pieces.
Those engaged in rescuing the wound
ed found many of them firmly held
down by the wreckage, and their agon
ized cries for help could be heard on all
sides.
One young girl saved insisted upon
searching the wrecked train for her
father, whose head was found to have
been severed from his body.
Michigan’* Bad Showing.
Lansing, Sept. 10.—The Michigan
crop report for September says: The
average rainfall in the state in August
did not exceed three-fourths of an inch.
With a drouth practically unbroken dur
ing the two principal crop growing
months of July and August it is not
difficult to estimate the condition of
crops. They are dried up. Corn, pota
toes and garden truck are damaged be
yond recovery, the yield will be but a
small per cent of an average, and pas
tures offer little or no feed for stock.
There is little doubt that wheat will be
Largely fed to stock the joining winter.
Threshers returns of more than 68,00(1
acres of wheat, threshed show that the
average yield per acre in the state is 1A
6-10 bushels.
Roanoke’s Big Five.
Roanoke, Va.. Sept. 10.—One of the
most disastrous tires that ever occurred
in this city, broke out at 11 o’clock Sun
day morning in the Bridgewater build
ing, a largo 8-story, cased brick struct
ure, which, with Its contents, was en
tirely destroyed within an hour and a
half Bv the extraordinarv efforts of
cae are department, tne ao joining ouun
ings were saved. The origin of the
fire ; which started in the armors of the
Roanoke Light Infantry, is unknown.
MRS. DRAYTON’S’ SIDE.
The IMnghter ot the Autoru Find. •
Growing; Sentiment In Her Favor.
New York, Sept. 10,.—Mrs. J. Cole
man Drayton will, her friends say, file
her answer to-her husband's suit for di
vorce on the statutory ground, within the
present week. It is reported that the
papers are ready, including the cross pe
tition, charging him with like offenses
to those with which he and Borrowe
have charged her.. When they are filed
and published, the public will be able
to judge just what the trouble is, and
just the proportion of responsibility
that rests upon this mother and father.
In the talk that is going around the
chief matter for comment is the unfor
tunate position of the four children
whose parents are holding up each other
to public contempt.
This scandal has aroused into the
liveliest sort of discussion all those
questions of the proper conduct of a
husband and wife when their family
life is disordered. Since it has been
found out that Mrs. Drayton has the
same complaints to make of her hus
band’s conduct that he has made of hers
there is a much stronger faction on
Mrs. Drayton’s side than there was be
fore.
"The amount of harm that this scan
dal and the Vanderbilt scandal will do,”
said a married woman the other day,
"is beyond calculation. There are so
many women in the less lofty social cir
cles who look up to these people with
awe and unquestioning admiration.
Many of these women will follow the
example thus so publicly set, and, with
out having sense enough to realize the
consequences and the inevitable dis
grace and shame, will go on to make
fools of themselves. Then, too, the ex
posure of these cases, taken with that
movement- up at Newport to stop the
publication of stories about the high
society people, will create a wide spread
impression that society pays no atten
tion to morality, and that, therefore, it
is useless for anybody to pay any atten
tion to it.”
Mrs. Drayton has the united strength
of the whole Astor family at her back,
and their support, it is declared, will be
open and active.
What Drayton’s Friends Say.
Bar Harbor, Me., Sept. 10.—Colonel
Drayton’s friends assure the United
Press correspondent that he will make
no statement for publication regarding
his suit for divorce. He is not procur
ing the divorce for the sake of marrying
again. He is living quietly with hfe
children, to whom he is devoted.
GROVER’S MARRIAGE.
The License Has Just Been Filed by the
Officiating Clergyman.
Washington, Sept. 10.—The marriage
license of President Grover Cleveland
and Frances Folsom has just been filed
in the office of the clerk of the district su
preme court by Rev. Byron Sunderland,
who performed the marriage ceremony.
Along with Mr. Cleveland’s license were
some 200 other licenses, being all the
marriage permits of the couples whom
Dr. Sunderland has united in wedlock
since 1871. The law of the district pro
vides that the minister performing a
marriage ceremony shall return the
license, properly certified by him, to the
clerk or the supreme court, but it
thoughtlessly omits to fix any time limit
within which these returns must be
made. The result is that the Washing
ton clergymen make their reports as
fancy dictates.
Dr. Sunderland apparently had made
no returns for the last 20 years. An
effort, was made at the last session of
congress to correct this evil, and a bill
was insroduced in the house compelling
all clergymen to report marriages with
in a fortnight after the ceremony had
been performed by then. The bill
failed to become a law, but Dr. Sunder
land only knew that the bill had been
introduced. Believing it had passed, he
carried, through the sweltering heat,
the 200 permits to marry, and was dis
gusted to learn at the clerk’s office that
his labor had been needless and that he
might have kept the licenses a few de
cades more. However, having brought
them to the office and feeling no desire
to lug them home again. Dr. Sunder
land philosophically accepted the situa
tion and filed all the certificates.
A LARGE PLATE.
Nothing So Great Was Ever Slade Before.
For the Cramps.
Chester, Sept. 10.—The Wellman
Iron and Steel company, of this city,
has turned out what is claimed to be the
largest steel plate ever rolled in the
world. The ingot, when placed in the
furnace, weighed 21,000 pounds, and
when taken from the rolls the dimen
sions of the plate were as follows:
length, 450 inches; width. 130 inches;
thickness, 1 1-4 inches. When sheared
it measured 327 inches in length, 120
inches in width and 1 1-4 inches in
thickness.
The plate is intended for one of the
vessels which is being built at Cramps’
shipyard at Philadelphia for the Inter
national Navigation company (Ameri
can line).
A Shirt Company Assigned.
New York, Sept. I(K—Samuel Bern
stein, Charles Bernstein and Michael
Gottlieb, doing business as the Atlantic
Shirt company, have made an assign
ment. Liabilities estimated at $35,000;
assets not stated.
The Raleigh on a Cruise.
Fort Monroe, Va., Sept 10.—Tin
cruiser Raleigh sailed at ll a. m. for a
cruise in Chesapeake bay, where she
will adjust her compasses and test her
guns and will then go to Yorktown for
target practice.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
THE BERLIN TREATY
By the United States, Great Britain and
Germany, Causes Uneasiness.
UNCLE SAM WOULD LOT GET OUT.
Discovered That the Treaty
Has No Abrogation Clause.
THE SAMDAN TREATY ALLIANCE.
There Must Be a Mutual Agreement to
Break the Bonds and Great Britain
May Not Agree.
Washington, Sept. 10.—State depart
ment officials are not a little disturbed
by the reports from Berlin to the effect
that 62 foreigners in Samoa have peti
tioned the German government to an
nex the islands. The disquieting cause
is not so much the idea of annexation
by Germany as it is the fear of the in
ternational complications that would be
likely to arise should Germany attempt
take the islands before the formal abro
gation of the treaty of Berlin, under
which the absolute autonomy of Samoa
is guaranteed by Great Britain, Ger
many and the United States.
The administration has recently made
an important discovery regarding the
Samoan treaty, which nas a vital bear
ing upon the plan already devised by
Secretary Gresham to enable the United
States to withdraw from what has
proved to be an entangling alliance of
the most annoying character. Officials
of the state department who have given
the treaty of Berlin a careful examina
tion have decided that the most unim
portant of its articles cannot be amended
but by the consent of the three powers,
and it contains no provision whatever
for its abrogation, thereby making it
necessaty for the signatory powers to
continue its faithful observance until it
is superceded by a new convention. The
omission of an abrogating clause is all
the more notable because of the almost
invariable form in modern treaties, in
which provision is made for the termi
nation of the convention after a. specific
period, upon adequate notice- being
Served by the power desiring to cancel
the treaty.
The general dispositions of the treaty
of Berlin are all found in Article 8,
which declares that “The provisions of
this act shall continue in force until
changed by consent of the three pow
ers,” and that "upon the request of
either power after three years from the
signature thereof, the powers-shall con
sider by common accord what ameliora
tions, if any, may be introduced Into
the provisions of this general act; in the
mean time, any special act may be
adopted by the consent of the three
powers with the adherence of Samoa. ’ ’
The treaty was signed June 14, 1889,
and the three years during which no
amendment could be made expired Juno
14, 1892. It will, therefore, now be in
order for the treaty powers to agree to
the abrogation of the convention, but
until both Great Britain and Germany
are ready to agree to surrender their
joint control of the islands the United
States are powerless to act, and must
continue to discharge the obligations in
Article 1 of the treaty, which is as fol
lows:
"It is declared that the Islands of Sa
moa are neutral territory, in wnlch the
subjects of the three signatory powers
have equal rights of residence, tfaqp
and personal protection. The three
powers recognize the independence OT
the Samoan government, and the free
right of its natives to elect their own
chief or king, and their form of govern
ment according to their laws and cus
toms. Neither of the powers shall ex
ercise any control over the islands or
the government thereof.”
The administration is satisfied from
the tone of the communications received
from the German government through
Baron Saurma-Jeltsch, the German min
ister, that Germany is willing to nomi
nate a representative to a conference to
be had for the purpose of abrogating
the treaty. No such assurance, how
ever, has yet been received from Great
Britain, and the recent demonstration
in the Samoan islands looking to their
annexation to Germany will, it is be
lieved, insure the opposition of Great
Britain to any step, looking to the disso
lution of the agreement by which the
autonomy of the islands is guaranteed
The importance- of the Samoan is
lands from a strategic standpoint has
increased of late years, especially in the
minds of the British, who have watched
•with great interest the progress of the
development of die Nicaraguan canal
project. With her policy of territorial
aggrandizement Great Britain would
not be likely to permit Germany to take
the Samoan islands, especially when
the promise of the completion of the
Nicaraguan .canal is now brighter than
it has been at any other time since the
project was first broached. The admin
istration is very anxious, though, to ab
rogate the treaty of Berlin, and one of
the most important tasks to which Sec
retary (Aeshain will address himself in
the near future will be the bringing to
gether of another conference, at which
the failure of the present treaty to meet
the needs for which it was designed and
the importance of its abrogation will be
urged by the representatives of the
United States. The anxiety of Secreta
ry Gresham to terminate the present
arrangement is strongly expressed in
his recent letter to the president, which
concluded as follows:
“Our experience in the ease of Samoa
serves to show that for our usual exemp
tion from the consequences of this in
firmity we are indebted to the wise pol
icy that previously preserved us from
such engagements as those embodied in
the general act of Berlin, which, be
sides involving us in an entangling :il
litUace, has utterly failed to correct. If
indeed it has not aggravated, the very
evils it was designed to prevent.”