The record-union., 1894-02-05
HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.
DoIe's Letter to Minister Willis
Reaches Washington.

DoIe's Letter to Minister Willis
Reaches Washington.
WASHINGTON, Feb. although Min
lister Willis in his last communication
TO Secretary of State Gresham,
which was transmitted to Congress by
President Cleveland Friday, stated that
he had not had time to prepare copy OF
President Dole's letter in answer.to his
own, it is ascertained that Dole's letter
has reached Washington. Willis, it will
be remembered, asked President Dole to
specify wherein he (Willis) had been
guilty of duplicity and intrigue against
the Provisional Governmen {.
President Dole in reply wrote lengthy
letter to Minister Willis. in which he
withdrew none of the allegations that
were considered offensive by President
Cleveland.
A member of the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, who has seen Dole's let
ter, says it is scathing reply reatfirming
every statement made in the one to which
exception was taken.
The allegation is repeated, and perhaps
more strongly than ever, that Minister
Willis conversation with the ex-Queen
implied one line of action on the part of
the United States Government, and his
statements to President Dole implied
another and different policy. In short,
Minister Willis tried to run a bluff on the
Provisional Government people.
The last Dole Willis letter acknowl-
edges that there may have been in the
first several inaccuracies. but these were
of little consequences.
4 coDy of the Dole letter was received
bv Hawaiian Minister Thurston several
6avs AGO. and members of Congress find
II hard to understand why Minister
Willis could not have sent his copy to
Gresham at the same time. lie says he
did not have time TO tranScrIbe lt before
the steamship left Honolulu, and conse-
ouently it will not arrive here before
February 18th. 1t is surmised here that,
If the letter is not already in the hands OF
the State Department Willis was given a
Drivate tip to withhold it until the debate
of the McCreary resolution in the House
is over with. Another theory is that
Willis realizing that Dole's specifications
would be considered all the more oflen-
sive by Cleveland. and wishing to gain a
little time in his desire 10 hold on 10 his
Diplomatic JOB, delayed sending the letter
to Washington when he might have
done so as well as not. If this was the
scheme OF Willis he has learned to gauge
matters now better than he could when
he first went to Hawaii.
Even under the extension of time for
the Hawaiian debate in Congress the res
olutions presented by McCreary and Hit
from the majority and the minority.
respectively of the Foreign Relations
Committee. will be voted on next Tues
dav. and the House will be committed 10
the Cleveland policy-at least in part.
The Dole letter will thus come as q new
feature in the case, and having the House
committed the President will not hesitate
To ask that it follow also his view of the
letter which now promises TO become the
most interesting part of the whole Ha-
waiian episode. 1t is well known that
cleveland was deeply offended at the po-
sition taken by Dole in his letter TO
Willis. even going so far as to send Willis
explicit orders to have the Objectionable
communication Withdrawn, the alterna-