The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-02-18
Full Text of Interview Concern
ing His Recall.
GRESHAM DIPLOMACY EXPOSED.
1t Was of Most Peculiar Character.
Information as to Proposed Action.
Did Not Give DerOgatOry Matter to
Press-Inside History of Intrigue.

Following is the full text of L.
A. Thurston's interview regarding
his treatment in Washington, pub
lished by the Chicago Times
Herald
While in Washington [ received no
| Information from the State Depart
ment that any charges had been made
against me, or that my recall bad
been, or was to be, requested, although
the newspapers were continually sup
piled from that source with a variety
of Information upon the subject. 1t
was manifestly impossible for me then
to reply TO charges without knowing
what they were. Upon returning to
Honolulu in April, 1895, [ ascertafned
that no charges or request for my re-
call had been received. Mr.. Gresham a
letter, having miscar'ied to Japan,
did not reach Honolulu until April
30th.
l Immediately male full reply to
my own Government /; but, at their
request, withheld publication until
my successor was appointed. Before
it seemed importune to publish a
controversial statement in which he
was involved. After that the matter
soon became ancient history, and, al,
though it left me in the unfortunate
position of tacitly admitting the truth
of the charges, [ should have con-
tinued to keep sileuce had not Pre5i-
dent Cleveland gone out of his way to
resurrect the matter and drag it INTO
his message to Congress by stating
therein that Mr.. Thurston having
given abundant reason for asking for
his recall, that course was pursued"
Leading Incidents in the Case.
Whether there was "abundant rea-
son" for such course involves the
story of the relations of Hawaii and
myself with Mr.. Cleveland and Mr..
Gresham for two years. Many details
bearing directly upon the issue L can
not give without making the state
ment too long. / will, therefore, only
refer to few incidents that indicate
what Mr.. Cleveland's and Mr.
Gresham's ideal OF diplomatic usage
and courtesy was-an ideal which
they consistently lived up to
The gist of the only charge made
against me in the letter requesting
my recall is, in substance, that / fur
nished to the A american press for pub
lication matter which contained com
ments and criticism upon the policy
pursued by Mr.. Cleveland and Mr..
Gresham toward Hawaii.
Before stating exactly what [ did in
this respect, and why [ did it, 1t is
necessary to an understanding of the
situation to state the facts leading up
thereto, which begaR with the first
Of Mr. GIlouohun61S inanUnra-
tiou.
At that time Hawaii was repre-
sented at Washington by minister
and five comm missioners, all duly ac-
credited and accepted, who had for
mally negotiated aud signed an an
nexation treaty, action on which was
pending before the Senate, while the
relations between the. two Govern
ments Were, as they always had been,
most friendly and cOrdial.
Immediately after the Presidents
Inauguration information reached the
Hawaiian representatives that he in
tended to Withdraw the treaty. Iu-
ouiry at the State Department was
met with a curt refusal to confirm or
deny the report, and the first and only
news of the withdrawal by Mr.. Cleve-
land of the treaty reached the Hawai-
ians through the newspapers.
Unusual Style of Diplomacy.
Thus was initiated the unique and
extraordinary policy of secretlng from
the accredited and recognized diplo-
mafic representatives of a friendly
matters vitality affecting
them aud their country, aud of allow
ing them TO learn of the intentions of
the government to which they were |
accredited solely through the press
The immediate and continued en- |
deavOrs by the Hawaiian representa-
tives to ascertain the Intentions of the |
President were met by frigid silence |
at the State Department, and the pos |
itive refusal either to state what course |
the President would pursue or to allow |
the Hawaiian commissioners to make |
any statements or explanations. Mr..
Gresham repeated reply was: "When |
[ desire any Information from you L
will let you know" Meanwhile the |
queens agents were accorded full and |
audiences, and received |
that the President would |
do nothing until he had made al in
vestigation.
From this time on the royalists |
were kept fully Informed of every in
tended move contemplated by the |