The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-02-18

public This he said would be done.
On the evening OF November z, 1898,
/ being tenn porarily in Chicago, L saw
in all evening paper "A statement that
| Mr.. Gresham had recommended To
the President to restore the queen and
overthrow the Dole Government
! | imm ediately telegraphed To Mr..
| Hastings, Hawaiian Charye ~ Affairs,
| to see Mr.. Gresham and ask IL it was
true. Mr.. Hastings old so. aud Mr..
| Gresham said to him: al assure you
there is no foundation for the state
ment. Do you think / would take 40
important a step without informing
your" Mr. Hastings telegraphed me
the substance of the reply. That
same night at about midnight he was
informed by newspaper man that
| Mr.. Gfesham'- letter tn the President,
recommenniug restoration, had been
given nu, 10 the press associations and
wa then going over the wires. The
letter Was dated October Is, 1898,
nearly month prior to Mr..
Ores hams assurance that there was
no such letter.
AS will be remembered, this letter
adopted Mr.. BIount's conclusions
throughout, aud in substance de-
nounced the participators in the over
throw of the monarchy as towards,
elected in favor of the wrOnged queen.
Shortly after the publication of the
letter compilation of extracts from
Mr.. Blount's report, most injurious to
the Dole government, was given to
press from the state department..
Later printed copies of the full report
were given out TO the press. No copy
was sent TO the Hawaiian legation,
although / finally succeeded In get
ting a mutilated copy. from which
clippings had been made, from a re-
preventative of the Associated Press.
Meanwhile / had returned from
Chicago No notice of the letter had
been received at the legation. / i'm
mediately called on Mr.. Gresham and
stated that / had seen in the papers q
letter concerning Hawaii purpOrting
to emanate. from him, but that as
had recel we'd no official notice thereof
L had called to ask if it was authentic.
He replied ''Of course-you know it
is authentic" ] reminded him of his
agreement to let me know the sub
stance of the Blount report before 1t
was published He replied: II do
not think it necessary. L knew you
would see it in the papers"
/ then asked if 1t was the intention
of the United States government to
restore the queen by force. He replied:
81 decline TO answer that question:
[ asked what if any instruction had
been given to Mr.. Willis.
He replied: 81 cannot answer
you"
/ then asked for copy of the
Blount report. After some hesitation
he said he had no more copies, but
would send me one. He did not do
so, and / had to send twice TO the
state department before copy was
secured.
Embarrassing Conditions.
The publication of the Blount re.
port and Secretary Gresham's letter
placed me in an embarrassing posi-
tion. On the one hand L was the dip
lomatic representative of Hawaii and
by conventional rules was not author
lied to discuss questions affecting the
TWO countries, EXCEPT with Mr..
@ Gresham. On the other haud, Mr..
Gresham was publishing broadcast
false and defamatory matter concern
ing myself and those whom repre-
sented; administratiop p'pers aud
memb bers of congress were taking the
charges upr and reiterating them aud
public opinion was forming. L could
not hear from home. nor obtain de-
week.. Most of the matters treated
Of by Mr.. Blognt aud Mr.. Ores tam
were peculiarly within my personal
knowledge. This they knew, but had
refused to give me hear
ing.
[ was being held subject 10 all of
the obligations, while accorded none
Of the rights or privileges of diplO-
matte position.
With regret, / was forced by the
necessities of the situation and the
tactics Of the administration to meet
them on the field of their own choOs-
signature to the charges contained In
The Biount report and the Gresham
letter. No notice was then taken of
the matter by Mr.. Cleveland, but, to
use an American expression, the ad-
"had no use" ior me
from that time on. At the same time
[ addressed an official protest to. Mr..
Gresham against the suggested re-
storation of the queen. No acknowl-
edgment of or ans wer thereto was ever
made.
Intrigues of Minister Willis.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Willis, in Honolu-
la, was persisten:y pursuing the
policy of the Administration, making
public speeches foreshadowing action
On his part, while repeatedly refusing
10 inform the Government of his
Instructions or Intentions; secretly
intriguing with the queen for her res-
-oration; menacing the Government
1y display of force on the American
var vessels, and by demands upon
-er-Latest us. Govt ReDort