The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-06
DIPLOMATIC LETTERS.
HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED DOLE
WILLIS uoRUEsPoNDENCE.
An Aftermath of the Exciting Days of
Epi-tolary Combat -So'ne
Good Reading.


President Dole. The reply is too long
for reproduction in these columns and
we summarize it as follows:
Touching The famous STAR interview
MIR. Willis quotes Mr.. Damon as saying
that it had greatly relieved the appre-
hension of the community ABOUT mob
violence.
As to the reply of the Minister to Mr..
Dole's inquiry about Gresham's letter the
former says:
"My duty, as understood it, did not
permit me to discuss with YOU the letter
Cf Mr.. Gresham to the President, nor
could |. under the state of facts, be
questioned AS to the existence or nature
of the intentions of my Government.
AS matter of fact it was at that time
doubtful whether my Government had
any "intentions." hostile or otherwise,
toward your Government"
lIr. willis denies that there was any.
thing unfriendly in his response to the
executive touching his intentions about
using force, and quotes the United
Press correspondents account of the
correspondence as that of a man whose
accuracy Mr.. Dole would certainly at
test. We quote verbatim as follows:
Your paragraph 16 is brief extract
from the message of President Cleve.
land of December 4, which was received
here on the Corwin on December II.
Under our constitution, as you are well
aware, Congress alone has the ''power
to declare war AS the President dis.
tinctly announced that he would only
act "within the constitutional limits of
Executive power" he precluded the
idea of using force. and reaiiirmed his
declaration of November II, delivered by
Secretary Gresham, not to do any hing
which would cause injury to life or
property of any one at the Islands
Paragraph II describes, upon the au-
thority OF certain visiting citizens, -
the preparations on board our war YES
sells after the arrival OF the Corwin,
which seemed to imply that our forces
"were ready to land at moments
notice, =" "rilies were stacked, cartridge
belts were filled with ball cartridges and
knapsacks packed Tor immediate use;"
"the liberty OF the crews was stopped, as
was that Of most Of the officers. Those
who came on shore were in service uni
FORM" etc. Ii those visiting citizens
had made inquiry of the officers i'll com
mand, their appreiensions would have
been promptly aliayed by the informa-
ton that what they saw on that Friday
they could have seen on any third Friday
in the month, it being the usual squad
ron drill" viz, "bOat drill, fire party,
arm and away requiring the packing
of knapsacks," and other preparations
which you detail.
[ append two letters of Rear Admiral
Irwin of The 18Th and lhlh INST. giving
notes from entry III log book U. 5. F.
S. Philadelphia and extract from
squadron routine drills" showing the
own words:
/. "No different preparations for
landing have ever been made since
assumed command of this squadron
than those made by my predecessor,
Rear Admiral Skerrett, which We're in
tended to suppress riot and to protect
the lives and property of American and
English residents"
2. As to the stoppage of shore leave
he explains: II did as "a matter of pre-
caution suspend liberty to the crews un-
til | could ascertain whether it would
be prudent to permit them to land with
out danger of collision After coming
ashore, and having satisfied myself on
that point, which did in less than an
hour, the order was revoked by tele
phone"
3. ION the 18th day of December, as
the excitement on shore was very
great, and as quite IA mob had gathered
at our usual landing, gave orders fol
our officers to wear their uniforms OF
el,. i,l, l. Y,o tiI,
taken in foreign countries in times Of
great public excitement. 1t is proper
to add that / had been informed b.
Captain Rookie of the British cruiser
Champion that he had given Il similal
order"
4. "The great guns of the Philadel
phia and Adams have never been LOADED
since their last target practice at sea
The usual harbOr drills have been kept
up, as required by regulations, the eX
ceptlon being that our men have no
been landed for the purpose of drill
since my assumption of command"
s. 1.-The reply quoted as made by tn,
officers of the Philadelphia, that no on,
on Board knew what orders would b,
received, should convince any reason
able person that no orders had beel
given"
The Admiral says in conclusion "a
you are aware, have studi 'usly soidet
doing anything that would have {
tendency to increase the eXcitemen
prevailing in Honolulu, and | now
distinctly stale that the naval fore
under my command is in no way respon
sible for the feeling now existing"
1t may not be improper here t,
mention the conduct of our naval force
h.A m .
ceeding the Gath of last November. Tn
many rumors as to their purpose o
landing and attacking your people, tn
feeling of resentment naturally result
ing from the honest belief by "A larg
part of the community that such wa
their intention, tine opprobrious epithet
that were freely employed bruugh
about such "A dangerous and critical con
dition that for a time, as Admiral lrwi
states. it became necessary for all on
officers going ashore to wear thei
service uniform as II protection agains
insult and attack. During the whole q
this unfortunate and regrettable sitr
alton The demeanor of both officers an
men was one of for bearance and sell
control.
Mr.. Willis explains that the wives {
naval officers prepared to leave the CIT
durlr & the trouble, from fears OF mo
violence; that he merely communica e
with the ex-Queen three times, and the
only To secure proper guarantees frOl
her as to amnesty; that J. o. Cant,
based his counsel to his nephew merel
upon the contents of Gresham's lette
Minister Willis denies that his refus
to let Government dispatches go out |
the Corwin was intended as an unfrien
ly act; aifirms that the action of Il
representatives of Great Britain an
Japan in preparing to land troops was
precaution against mob violence
denies that the request to Il
Provisional Government to abdica
embodied Il threat of fore
Your paragraph (2Sl states 'Duril
your nearly two months residence in I'll