THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 1889.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9262, 16 January 1889, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 1889.

The Samoan difficulty is becoming serious. The American Government have ordered another warship to proceed to Apia. The Union Company's steamer Wainui, under special charter, has sailed for the same port, carrying secret and urgent cable despatches from the German Government to their Consul there. Our next news from Samoa, is likely therefore to be of an important character. It is improbable, however, that Germany has decided to resort to extreme measures. It is only common sense to see that the German Government cannot maintain the unwarrantable position they have taken up in relation to Samoa, for the simple reason that having a great standing quarrel on hand they cannot afford to provoke other and quite superfluous quarrels. The high-handed proceedings at Samoa would hardly have occurred, but for the impression that they would excite no outside interference. They have, however, excited much outside indignation, and the cool setting aside of what the Washington Conference was held to establish iskeenly

resented by public feeling in England and in the United States, as with Germany the parties to the Conference ; and the United States Government seem resolved to interfere for the upholding of the neutrality or practical independence of the Archipelago. They have ordered other ships of war to reinforce the one which is now bearing the American flag at the islands. At the same time, we learn that the considerable German squadron already there is to be further reinforced, and it seems that a section of the German press "is clamouring for the annexation of Samoa." Things decidedly wear a bellicose aspect, but will the matter grow to international blows ? We cannot believe it, although the situation is further complicated by the disaster which has befallen the German arms in a wholly inexcusable act of aggression. The German Chancellorthough sometimes, like smaller mortals, he can, as in this instance, make a grave mistake— far too longheaded a statesman to create new

enemies at a moment like the present. It is to his credit that when he sees he has made a mistake he can bring himself to retreat from it. This was witnessed in regard to the seizure of some of the Caroline Islands, a group which has belonged to Spain for centuries, as among the dependencies of the Philippines, her great colonial possession in the North Pacific. They were supposed to be in the class of unconsidered trifles, but the Castilian spirit took fire at the news of the unceremonious hoisting of the German flag there, and though Spain is not at this period one of the great Powers, Prince Bismarck at once retraced the step, in recognition of a mistake that would give Germany an enemy and France an ally. It would also be a mistake to make an active enemy of the great American Republic, and over a petty matter like Samoa, and certainly the Chancellor will not do it now when j important matters may result in Europe ! from the approaching demise of the King of Holland. The often-expected death of that long-ailing sovereign is said to be now really impending. Germany and the United States are among the Great Powers of the world, but there is a contrast in their martial arrangements, for while Germany has an enormous army, and what has already grown to be a powerful navy, the United States have practically no army, and have only begun to rebuild a navy. In 1804, after the four years of civil war, there were under the Stars and Stripes more than a million of soldiers trained by that struggle, and it was in the protracted contest that the ironclad was invented. When the war was over, the Government sold off their ships and postponed replacing them, waiting, as they said, to see what the experiments in improving the ironclad, carried on at vast expense by the European Powers, would come to, and what the navies of the future were to be really like. At the same time they disbanded and sent to their homes the mass of veteran soldiers

which the civil war produced. A generation has passed away since then ; and the army of the United States is now represented by a militia which is of necessity half disciplined, and by some twenty or thirty thousand enlisted troops, stationed in the' territories where then; is •• ii! any danger of Indian trouble, and w,._, as a whole, are imperfectly trainee!, because they are always in small separated detachments, and because a great proportion of the men do not long remain in the service, being tempted away by the opportunities of a new country for labour and settlement. Of course the United States, if they set themselves to doit, could create a military force, excellent at all points and of any dimensions, as they did before, but at present they cannot be said to possess an army, and they have only commenced the re-fitting of a navy. Would they be powerless therefore in the event of a rupture with Germany at a juncture like the present '( Quite otherwise. France or any other antagonist whom Prince Bismarck can contemplate would obtain powerful co-operation from the facilities for equipping privateers which are at the disposal of the great Western Republic. Her ports are frequented by the seamen of all nations, and she has excellent seamen of her own in her New England fishermen. In these days of torpedos and other submarine explosives ports are easily made defensible, and the reputation of it is often enough to save them from attack. In recent wars there has been much more caution in attacking seaports than was the case formerly. For instance, during the Franco-German war neither belligerent attempted anything against the other's coastline. In a word, Germany and the United States having no territories in juxtaposition any conflict between them would be waged on the water, in which Germany, possessing more of a mercantile marine, would be at a disadvantage. No doubt there was an agreement some years ago between most of , the Governments to set their faces against privateering, but then the diplomatists in Berlin have themselves given the example of not closely adhering to international agreements.

It would be absurd to suppose that Prince Bismarck will go to war with the United States if the latter insist on the original arrangementas to the neutrality of Samoa under a joint protectorate ; and in the eyes of the world it would be an act of dignity and spirit on the part of the Germans to withdraw from a false position without inflicting further injury on the unfortunate islanders, who have simply done their best to defend themselves against unjustifiable aggression.