Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-17
AS TO CITIZENSHIP.
View Taken by the National
State Department.
TWO LETTERS TO MINISTER WILLIS

the Protection of the United states-One
Case Left Pending, but the Dole Adm n
istration Given Some Hints s. to Free
Government Help for the Other
Man-Expatriationa and Allegiance.
SAN FRANCISCO, May Traditional
advices brought from Honolulu by steam
er under date Of May have an important
bearing upon the question Of the treat
ment to be accorded the prisoners con-
victed by the Hawaiian court martial of
treason, or misprision of treason, and of
persons deported for the same offense,
who have appealed to the government of
the United States for protection, claim
ing to be citizens Of this country. The
most notable were the cases of j. Grams
ton, deported to Vancouver, and J. +.
Bowler, sentenced to five years imprison-
ment and s.. COO fine. In each of these
cases appeals were made to the United
States government for protection. The
action OF the state department in behalf
OF these cases has been made known to
the friends of the men at Honolulu and
the formal letters of Secretary Gresham
are now published.
They Indicate the attitude the state de-
partment at Washington has assumed
towards the whole question of citizenship
of Americans who have become at any
time attached to the Hawaiian govern
ment; or for that matter to any other
government. There is n wide divergence,
however. between Secretary Greshams
view and that of the British foreign Office,
in the matter. 1t seems that the Hawaiian
oath of allegiance contains no renuncia.
tion OF the atlantis native or previous al
legiancc nor any reserve in favor thereof.
This is interpreted by the British foreign
office to practically debar the Hawaiian
government from any sovereign power
over the bodies of persons taking the oath.
This also was the view of the late king,
who told a British applicant for citizen
ship that it would not interfere with his
British citizenship.
Crnpston's Nationality in Doubt.
The correspondence is made up of two
letters. the 0rst touching the Cranston
case, being as follows, dated Washington,
Feb. p, 1898. OF course it Is addressed to
Minister Willis:
"SIR:-I have to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of yours of the Sth inst. in relation
to affairs in Hawaii and particularly id
relation to the forcible deportation on the
End inst. of three men, one of whom Mr..
j. Cranston, claims to be a citizen of the
United Statee. enclose herewith copies
OF certain dispositions made by Mr.. Grams
ton. These dispositions leave
the question of Mr.. Cranston's nationality
in doubt"
Some Instructions to Willis.
Pending the arrival of further papers in
the case Willis was instructed to do moth
ing for Cranston, but for his guidance in
matters similar Secretary Gresham re-
views the Cranston case thus: at ap-
pears that after having been kept in jail
for nearly n month without any charges
having been made against him he was
taken under n heavy guard to a steamer
and would, in spite OF his request to see
you, have been deported without having
had an opportunity then to do SO had it
not been Tor the accidental but timely
interpOsition OF the British commissioner.
You state that when you asked the at
torncy general for an explanation of the
proceedings he replied that the cabinet
had determined to deport the men in the
exercise of tho arbitrary power conferred
by martial law
Made Ills Law Too Comprehensive.
"As this was the only explanation he
gave it is presumed that it was all
he had to offer and he gave it without
suggesting any question as TO Mr.. Gran
ston's nationality II the position thus
assumed be sound the very proclamation
of martial law in Hawaii renders all for
eieners there residing, including Ameri-
cans, liable to arrest and deportation
without cause and without any reason
other than the fact that the executive
mower wills it They NAV be taken from