The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-22
WHAT THEY SAID OF WILLIS.
Interesting Extracts from the Edit0-
rial Columns of Hawaiian Papers.

His Hard Task in Threatening Force When
He Could not Use It Compliments to
the ''Worshipful Chieftain of the
American Democracy The Weekly
Wash as Decoration for Warships.
Washington, February 21.-Probably
one of the oldest documents added to
the diplomatic archives of the State
Department in recent years is that of
Minister Willis to Secretary Gresham of
January 10, inclosing extracts showing
what the Honolulu papers thought OF
him. and asking instructions in the
premises. Ali of the clippings refer to
the birthday celebration of the provision
al. government on January II, which
seems to have been very enthusiastic
affair from very early in the morning
until we'll along towards the next morn
ing. But the remarkable Enclosures are
the editorials from these papers relating
to the absence of Minister Willis from
the celebration. The most conservative
is entitled; A Good Word for Mr.. Willis, !"
and expresses the hope that the crisis
having passed the citizens will be falr
and Just towards the Minister, whose
position is said to be not of his own
creation. The editorial proceeds as fol-
lows,
."If his temper has not been altogether
lovely in making his answers to questions
regarding his use OF force in restoring
the ex-Queen,, it must be remem bered
that he was instructed to perform dit1ls
cult job. Don't use force, but don't let
them know you won't use it, A noble
man said, to the artist, who was about to
paint his portrait: In painting my
portrait paint that of my valet standing
behind me. but SO that he cannot be
SEEM Instructions are often difficult to
execute"
The most remarkable comment which
Minister Willis has filed is from the
Hawaiian Star, and says: " 1t is to be re-
GREETED that contingencies should have
arisen by "hich Mr.. willis was unable to
take note of yesterdays holiday. and by
which the Philadelphia and her consort
we've prevented from hanging up flags IN
place of their weekly washing. These
Contingencies, it may be observed, are
due to the strange perverslty OF the
Americans here in not making way
when asked to, for the return of a dis
carded heather Queen and her yabble of
boodlers and hula drivers. TO have
them do that is so strong and fervid an
ambition on the part of the worshipful
chieftain.of the American Democracy. or
what there is left of it since the Novem-
Der elections, that he would see them IN
the River Styx before he would let his
nersonal agents there acknowledge their
Claims Of Independence that is to say,
acknowledge them again. However, the
Americans of Hawaii and their German,
English, Portuguese and native friends
made great holiday all by themselves
on the 18th of January, and hardly
missed. THE diplomatic absentee. or
stopped to grumble at the long lines or
ialf-dry undershifts and pantaloons
with which the navy saluted the Repub-
Lean anniversary. They were having
too good time for anything OF that
sort, and were content to leave the EX-
traordinary Envoy to himself and to the
pleasure which he might derive from
hearing the song of the dinkey bird in
the Damgafula tree"