The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-28

ton of the employment Of force to restore
the deposed Queen, and a statement OF Mr..
Willis's course In declining the invitation to
participate in the first anniversary OF the es-
tablishment Of the present Government OF
Hawaii. President Cleveland sent the docu-
ments to Congress, accompanied by the toi-
lowing message:
To the Congress:
I transmit herewith two dispatches re-
ceived few days ago from our Minister at
Hawaii, and reply to one ofthem from the
Secretary of State, in which correct version
Is given of an interview which occurred No.
vember 14th, 1892, between the Secretary OF
State and Mr.. Thurston, representing the
Provisional Government at Washington.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, Febru-
ury 18th.
MINISTER WILLIE TO SECRETARY GRESHAM.
lConfdentiaL1
No. 29.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
HONOLULU, Fl. l., January 18th, 1894.
Hon. W. @. Gresham, Secretary OF State
S1R-In letter from the Hon. s. B. Dole,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed to me
under date Of January 11th, the following
statement Is made:
"On November 18th Mr.. Thurston, Ha-
waiian Minister at Washington, called upon
the Secretary Of State and inquired 1t the
above letter (Tours OF October lsth) was au-
thentic, and was assured by MIR. Gresham
that It was.
"Mr. Thurston then said Il wish, then,
to further ask whether it Is the intention OF
the United States Government to carry out
its policy therein indicated by force; or, in
other words, whether if the Provisional Gov
ernmcnt decline to accede to the request OF
the United States Government to vacate in
favor of the Queen, United States troops will
be used to enforce the request|
.'To which Mr.. Gresham replied. 4 am
not at liberty at present to answer that CUES.
tion. It is a matter concerning which Will
speak to the President. and talk With you
more fully this afternoon
sInthe afternoon of the same day MIR: Gres-
ham further said to Mr.. Thurston. have
already answered your first question, to the
effect that the letter published (Secretary
Gresham to the President) was authentic
and correct statement OF the policy OF the
United States. AS to your second question,
as to whether force Is to be used by the
United States to restore the Queen. all that
am at liberty to state is, that MIR. Willis haa
no instructions to do anything which will
cause injury to life or property OF any one at
the islands. Further than this am not at
liberty to state what his instructions are.
You can draw your own inferences from my
statement and allsy any apprehension which
may have been caused by what has peen
published
ssMr. Thurston further said to Mr.. Gresh-
am 'Your answer does not convey the in
formation which requested. What l de-
sire Is to obtain information which Will
guide NY Government in their action. II
they know that force Is to be used by you,
their course of action will necessarily be
different from what it otherwise would be.
The definite information from me that you
intend to use force may be the means OF
preventing them from using force and caus-
ing boodshed.'
ITO which Mr.. Gresham replied: Our re-
lations in the past have been pleasant, and
want them to continue to be 80 IN the future
and to be perfectly courteous to you, but 1
cannot at present answer you moro ioiiy 'n''n
T have done.'"
T do not know whether Mr.. Thurston made
this statement public in the United States at
the time. but do know that the first 1nt1ma-
tion that this community had upon the sub
iect is contained In Mr.. Dole's letter OF the
11th inst.
Had your statement to Mr.. Thurston been
made public here at the time (Nov. 24) when
il was received. the excitement resulting
from the warlike preparations of the Pro-
visonal Government, would have been
allayed, and critical and dangerous con-
ditions avoided.
ALBERT 8. WILLIS, E. E. and NJ. P.
Mr.. Gresham's reply to this communica-
ton, giving an authentic version OF the In
terview, was as follows:
MIR. GRESHAM TO NIB, WILLIS.
No. 13. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, D. c., February 7, 1894.
S1R-I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your No. 80 of January 16, in which
you refer to letter received from the Hon.
s. B. Dole, Minister of Foreign Affairs ofthe
Provisional Government, addressed to you
under date of January II, containing state
ments alleged to have been made by me in
an interview with Mr.. Thurston, the Hs-
wailan Minister, on November IA last.
1t Is true that had two interviews with
Mr.. Thurston on the d's mentioned the
first OF which was very brief. Immediately
after the second interview I dictated to q
stenographer O statement, from which the
following is quoted 1t being all that relates
to the subject of Mr.. Dole's communication
to you:
ION the forenoon Of Nov. IA the Hon. L. A.
Thurston, Minister ofthe Provisional Govern
ment OF Hawaii, called at the Stete Depart
ment for an interview with the Secretary OF
State on the Hawaiian situation. The Minister
was informed by the Secretary that 1t was
about time for Cabinet meeting and he was
under the necessity OF requesting the Minister
to call again at 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
He replied he would do so, but before leav-
ing desired to submit two questions to the
Secretary:
:.First-Was the letter addressed by the
Secretary to the President about Hawaii and
the Provisional Government and printed IN
the papers few days ago authentic and off,
cial?
"Second-If it was, and he presumed it
was. was it the Presidents intention to use
force. il need against the Provisional
Government In sstorlng the Queen?
"The Secretary replied that the letter was
authentic. but as he had not time to spend
with the Minister just then he could repeat
the question on calling in the afternoon.
''Tbe Minister called at the appointed hour,
and the Secretary informed him that the let.
ter addressed to the President was authentic
and that no action had heen or would be
taken by our Minister, Mr.. Willis, which woule
imperil the lives and property OF the officers
or supporters Of the Provisional Government,
and that IL they suffered In any way 1t would
be in consequence OF their own acts or atti-
tude."
The interview continued.
'.Minister-Mr. Secretary. That answer Is
not satisfactory, and I would be glad II you
would be more explicit.
"Secretary--I cannot be more explicit at
this time. You can draw your own differences
from what have said. and correct any false
Impressions that may have been created by
what hos been published"
Ianswered the second question in the un-
derscored language from slip OF paper
which lay on my table In plain view before
me. l did not say in either interview that I
was not at liberty 10 answer either question.
w. @. GRESHAM.
The correspondence with regard to the
celebration is as follows:
MR.. WILLIS TO MR.. GRESHAM.
InnArrox or TIE IIN1rrn SrLrEa