Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-19
An Addition to the Lengthy Core
spondenoe on Hawaiian Affairs.
Mr. WILLIS STATEMENTS REVIEWED
The Position Of the Provisional
Government Set Forth.
GOOD FAITH DECLARED


Minister Willis for specific declaration as
to whether or not the United States would
use force to effect the queens restoration.
Under date of February s Mr. Dole
writes to Mr.. Willis acknowledging the re-
ceipt Of the latters letter of the 10Th Of
January, which shows clearly your. de-
sire that no Interpretation be placed on
any of those events or matters which is
inconsistent with the friendly attitude of
yourself and your government, and insist
Ing that your own course was not such as
to arouse anxiety in this community con-
cerning the intentions Of the United States
government"
The last letter is as follows:
Mr.. Dole to Mr.. Willis
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
HONOLULU, H. l., Feb IA 1894.
Sir: Referring again to your coinmunica-
ton OF January 10. the receipt of which has
already been acknowledged, perrnis me to.
say that 1t gives me great pleasure to ac-
cept your explanation Of the circumstances
referred to in my letter of January IL, re-
sarding the deprivation OF the liberty Of the
crews of the American men-of-wlr anti the
wearing OF uniforms ashore by the officers
after the arrival Of the Corwin.
1t would give me great satisfaction TO
close the correspondence at his point, but
there are matters in your comm lnication
which require brief explanation for the sake
OF Il clear UNDERSTANDING OF some points.
It has not been my desire In any Of my
letters in this correspondence to charge the
United States with intending to use force
against this government, bat rather TO
show that the Withholding by the United
States of Its intentions on that ooin:, taken
with other circumstances more or less ex-
pressive Of unfrendliness 20 this govern
ment. had produced the unfortunate s,ste
Of affairs that was brought to your atten-
ton, as reason why such informal ticn
should not be longer withheld
The first part of Minister Thurstons in
terview with Secretary Gresham, quoted by
you, on pages 8 and Of your letter. stand
ing alone, permits the construction which
you have given to 1t. But taken with the
rest of the interview, as reported in my let
ter of specifications must. / submit, be con-
sidered as having been rendered somewhat
problematical in meaning by the Secretary's
refusal in the latter part of the interview to
answer Mr.. Thurston's direct question
whether or not the United States intended
to use force.
Diplomatic DistinctiOn.
In your reference to paragraph II Of the
letter Of specifications. you say you ex-
pressed your satisfaction and approval of
what occurred" Permit me to say in fuller
explanation OF the interview in question
that 1 expressed my satisfaction with your
assurances that you did not mean to give
the impression that you had any Intention
OF exercising the authority inconsistent with
assurance referred solely to your reported
remarks, published in the Hawaiian Star,
November 16. as follows: Until the time
comes for me to carry out my Instructions,
the peace and good order of this com:nu-
nifty will be kept undisturbed In the interests
of humanity" &c. My satisfaction was with
the temporary relief afforded by your as
surance that Until the time should arrive
for you to carry out your instructions You
had mo intention of exercising authority
inconsistent with that Of the Hawaiian
government.
was still in the dark as to your instruc-
tions' and as to your plans for carrying
them out when the time should arrive: and
my anxiety was not lessened by the natur-
al implication of your words, that your
interest in the peace and good order of the
community was limited to the period before
the time for carrying out your instructions
should arrive.
A somewhat similar explanation may be
made of my satisfaction with your assur-
ance that my reply to the demand of your
government would be forwarded to Wash
irgton and that nothing would be done by
you untif you were further instructed Up.
81 of your letter.. 1t was simply a relief to
me to learn that the unknown action of the
United States toward my. government was
to be delayed.
A Courteous Criticism.
Whether Your address to a delegation of
the American League, referred to by you
on page 15. and reported in the Hawaiian
Star. November II, taken in its entirety"
admits of friendly construction, in view
Of the contemporaneous circumstances of
the following language, which is a part of
the address, l am content to leave where
You have left 1t, to reasonable construc-
ton Of the whole address. The words re-
ferred to are as follows: II have my in
structions, which i cannot divulge. But
this much l can say, that the policy of the
United States is already formulated regard
ing these Islands. and that nothing which
can be said or done either here or there
can avail anything now. / do not come
here as did Mr.. Blount: I come to act
When the proper time comes. l shall act"
You say on pages 16 and II Of your letter,
referring to my Inquiries on November "a
and 20 as to the intentions of your govern
ment and the correctness of the published
reports of Mr.. Gresham's letter: MY duty,
as l understand it, did not permit me TO
discuss with you the letter of MIR. Gresham
to the President, nor could /, under the
state of facts, be questioned as to the ex-
isteEce or nature of the intentions of my.
government. Asa matter Cf;fact, 1t was, at
that time, doubtful whether my government
had any intentions, hostile or otherwise,
toward your government
Some Difficulty Here.
I confess my inability to satisfactorily
weigh the last sentence of this quotation, in
view of the circumstances. ami especially
of your remark to :le delegation of the
American League reported in the Hawaiian
Star November IL, and in my letter of
specifications. that me policy of the United
States is already formulated regarding these
islands,"
Your letter on pages 2l and % imply that
my reference to war-lil;e preparations of
the American ship of Wal m the harbor OF
Honolulu was limited to Friday, December
10. had no intention Of limiting my state
ment TO. that or any ot.,c: day. AS A mat.
ter of fact, my Information was based upon
observations made upon Tuesday, which
understand to have been the Tuesday fol-
lowing the arrival 81 the .,orwin
The fact as staSe'l bv you on pages n an
80 of your leitrr 10 Il: :! \, i-,rIe. based
his statement to his nephew that rest ora
ton Was certain: hat force wOuil ne used
by the United States Yer that purpose" en-.
trely upon Seeretar GreShams rut. ;s;he.l
letter and .urrrnt newspaper comments
may explain how the same sources Of m
formation may have tended tc lead the ~est
OF the community 20 4 similar conclusion.
Tend to Better Feeling.
You stated in speaking of the general an
prehension of the use of force by the United
States: Furthermore, as frankly admitted
by you in this correspondence, your govern
ment does not of Itself entertain this appre-
hension." What I did say was this: II am
not prepared to state that the government
entertains this opinion, although The want
Of information to the contrary mas COM
PEELED US to act If 1t was correct"
! trust that these additional explanations