The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-01
Admiral Walkers Reports from Hawaii
philadelphia North American J

philadelphia North American J
A large part of the correspondence be-
tween the Naval Department and Admit
raj Walker, which in response to Mr.
Lodges resolution, was transmitted to
the Senate, is ofsa formal character, and
consequently Of but little interest, but
the letter in which the Admiral de-
scribe the situation at Hawaii immedi-
ately prior to his departure from that
place in obedience to the peremptory
orders of the, Secretary of the Navy, is
important, and will attract general at
tention, 1t was on the second of last
August that instructions reached the
Admiral to proceed with the Philadel-
pbia to Mare Island, and he Immediately
began to prepare for their execution. He
did SO, however, with reluctance, and
had his orc ers left him any discretion
III the premises. he says that ne would
have left the Philadelphia at Honolulu
and returned with his staff Oh board
the first mail steamer that served. He
was afraid to leave England in sole pos
session of the field. At the time when
he received his recall, the only warship
besides mis- own in Hawaiian waters was
H Nj. S. Champion The Hawaiian Re-
public had been inaugurated and pro-
claimed little less than month, and
everything was moving along smoothly
and peacefully. President Doles' admin
stration had shown itself able to main
Uain1itself to execute the laws, and to
maintain genera4N good order, and Adj
miral Walker had formed the opinion
that it was abundantly strong enough
to suppress any civil disturbance that
might be attempted, and to afford the
foreign residents Of the island all neces-
sary protection to life anu property.
Ho accordingly saw no occasion for the
continued presence of foreign warships
in the Honolulu harbor, and would have
entertained no doubt as to the wisdom
Of his recall but for single circum-
stance. 1t would leave the British cruiser
Champion unmatched, and would make
it easy for the English sympathizers
with Liliuokalani, official or otherwise,
to intervene upon some pretext in her
behalf. The British representative at
Honolulu, then, as, for thirty years before,
was Major James H. Wodehouse. and the
Major was, and had always been, an ar
dent supporter of the deposed Queen. In
common with a majority of English resi-
dents, of Hawaii, he deprecated her over
throw, and desired her restoration. not
of course, on personal grounds, but be-
cause the perpetuation OF a monarchial
form of government at Hawaii tended
to promote the maintenance and extern
sion of British influence. Admiral Walker
was afraid.that as ssoon as the Philadel
phia had steamed away, Major Wode-
house would find some pretext for call
ing upon the commander of the Cham
pion to land an armed force, a requisit-
ion which would have been promptly
and cheerfully obeyed, and that having
thus secured a foothold, the British
would find one excuse after another for
failing to let co. This apprehension of
Admiral Walkers is justified by tie
teachings of history. and was deepened
by variety of circumstances not neces-
sary to describe here, but which are
stated in his letter.