The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-27

OH january 70, 1894, made StaUe-
| ment to Mr.. Gresham concerning the fric-
ton that existed in Hawaii by reason of
the continued demand by Japan that the
franchise be granted to Japanese. He
said:
What do you mean by coming to me
with complaints about Japan? Do you
expect US to protect you from Japan?
should think that the last country in the
world you would appeal to for assistance
would be the United States. 1t is most
extraordinary that you should make this
statement to me. What do you want me
to do? etc.
81 replied that had not applied for as
sistance, nor did / want him to do any,
thing; that the United States had for
years followed certain line of policy con-
corning Hawaii relations with other for
eign powers; that l was simply stating a
fact, and that it was entirely for him to
say whether or not it was of interest to or
concerned American policy interests. He
reiterated his former statements in differ
ent forms several times, and wound up by
branching off from the subject entirely
and demanded what President Dole meant
by sending an insulting reply to Mr..
Willis (refe1ring to Mr.. Dole's reply to Mr.
Willis demand that the Queen be re-
stored). denied that the answer was or
was intended to be insulting. Mr.. Ores
ham said: 4 say 1t was insulting, and
Mr.. Dole's sole object was to say some
thing sharp to the American Minister
when he had the opportunity He con-
tinued to talk in this strain until it became
manifest that he was simply trying to pro-
woke quarrel and left the room.
During the summer and fall of 1894
was absent in Hawaii and Europe. On
January 7, 1895, returned to Washington,
and called the next day on Mr.. Gresham
to see about presenting my credentials
from the republic of Hawaii. which had
taken the place of the provisional Govern
ment. After stating that they would be
received, he said What did your Gov
eminent mean by complaining to US that
arms were being shipped from California
TO Hawaii? I replied that l knew of no
such complaint; that I had arrived only
the day before, and knew nothing of it.
He said: Yes. they complained to US,
and l have investigated the matter, and
there is not a particle of foundation for it.
They have put US to all this trouble with
out any reason. (By remarkable coin
cidence the Instruction made possible by
the use of these very arms had broken out
the day before, and at that very hour
Charles Carter lay dead in Honolulu, shot
to death with one of the guns which Mr..
Gresham had investigated and found did
not exist.)
Continuing, Mr.. Gresham said: I
guess your Minister of Foreign Affairs
(Mr. Hatch) is a seary kind of fellow,
isn't hep l replied: No. On the con-
trary, he is unusually cool and clear
| headed He said: We'll, he acts like it
anyhow. l can see no reason for the COM
plant he maze. He even put Mr.. Willis
to the expense of telegraphing it over
here.
He continued to talk in this strain
with an exceedingly harsh manner until
l became convinced that he was seeking
to pick quarrel with me, as there was no
occasion for his bringing up the subject,
of which he knew that 1 was ignorant.
Immediately after news of the insur-
rection reached the States,' says Mr..
Thurston, "the cue of the administration
was to minimize its Importance. 1t was
characterized as little riot, and ridi-
culed as "a tempest in teapot" So sedu-
lousy was this view presented that it APP
| peared as though it might be generally
! adopted.
knowing, as did, the real seriousness
| of the situation and fearing that my Gov
eminent might feel it necessary to impose
extreme penalties upon some of the lead
ers, as deterrent example for the future
| saw that if the American public became
| impressed that the instruction was an IN.
significant affair any severity of punish
ment would cause a reaction of feeling
against us. l accordingly took pains to
give to the press the fullest information
concerning the facts. This had a perfecl
right to do, as the matter was purely do
nestle. The statement made in the press
that the ground of the request for my re-
call was because of my giving to the press
| information contained in official dispatches
was without foundation.
| ''On Feb ruary II, 1895, representative
of one of the press associations, who had
| frequently called, came in as l was read
ing the mail received that morning from
Hawaii and made a remark to the effect
that the trouble in Hawaii was only lit
tie fracas, and did not amount to much.
l replied that he was mistaken; that it
was through no lack of intent on the part
of the royalists that the results were not
worse, and that there was still most in
tense feeling over the matter in Honolulu,
| as he could see by the letters had just
received. l thereupon read to him from
several private letters, not with intent that
he should publish what was read to him.
but to disabuse his mind of false impress
sion. There was nothing said about pub
LEGATION. There was no intention on my
part that the references in the letters to
the American administration should be
published and they were not published !;
but the gentlemanly press representative
treasured up such references and commu-
nicated them either directly or indirectly
to Mr.. Gresham. / understand it has been
| denied that this was the avenue of his in
formation. l know that it was, for the
letters to me were shown to no one else
but the newspaper man in question.
sin speaking to me in relation to the
matter later Mr.. Gresham said, in expla-
nation of his possession of the reference: