The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26
THURSTON TALKS.
GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO MISS
KATE FIELD.
Review of the Situation on the
Islands as seen By the Ex-Minis-
ter Of the Dole Republic.

CHICAGO, Jan. 25.-The Times-Her-
aid will tomorrow print long state
ment from L. A Thurston, ex-minister
of the Hawaiian republic at Washing
ton. The matter comes from Kate
Field. the special correspondent of the
Times-Herald at Honolulu.
Mr.. Thurston says in part: "After
Commissioner Blount's return from
Honolulu, some months later, 1 vainly
inquired Of Mr. Gresham what the re-
suit was. He would not even admit
that any report had 5eeu made, stat
ing that such report, II made, was a.
confidential one, and that it was 'un-
fair for me to ask any questions con-
corning it. 1 verbally reiterated to him
that owing to the long delay and IN
certainty, affairs were unsettled and
in a critical condition at the islands
and it would be in the interest Of order
and peace to first communicate his in
tentions, when decided upon, to the
Hawaiian government before making
them public. This ne said, would be
done. On the evening Of November Z.
1883, being temporarily in Chicago, I
saw in an evening paper statement
that Mr.. Gresham had recommended
to the president to restore the queen
and overthrow the Dole government.
Immediately wired Mr.. Hastings, Haw-
allan charge d affaires, to see Mr.. Ores
ham and ask if it was rue. Mr.. Hast
ings did so, and Mr.. Gresham said to
him: I assure you there is no fOunda-
ton for the statement. Do you think
1 would take so important a step with
out informing you?'
Mr.. Hastings telegraphed me the
substance Of the reply. That same
night, at about midnight, he was in
formed by a newspaper man that Mr.
Gresham's letter TO the president,
recommending restoration. had been
given out to the press associations and
was then going over the wires. The let
ter was dated October 8, 1893, nearly a
month prior to Mr.. GreSham's asSur-
ance that there was no such letter.
mo copy was sent TO the Hawaiian
legation, although I finally succeeded
in getting a mutilated copy, from which
clippings had been made from a rep
resentative of the Associated Press.
Immediately called on Mr.. Gresham
and stated I had seen the letter and
asked if 1t was authentic. He replied:
/ of cOurse-you know it is authentic.
1 reminded him Of his agreement TO let
me know the substance of the Blount
report before it was published. He re-
piled: I did not think it necessary.
knew you would see it in the papers
Il then asked if it was the intention
Of the United States government to
restore the queen by force. He replied:
I decline to answer that question.
ION January 25, 1894, made a state
ment to Mr.. Gresham concerning the
friction that existed in Hawaii by rea-
son of the continued demand by Japan
that the franchise be granted to Japan
| csc. He said: What do you mean by
/ coming to me with complaints about
japan? Do you expect US to protect
/ you from Japan? I should think that
I the last country in the world you would
appeal to for assistance would be the
| United States. It is most extraordinary
l that you should make this statement
to me. What do you WaEs re to do2'
etc.
He demanded what Dole meant by
/ sending an insulting reply to MI
I Willis (replying to Mr.. Willis demand
/ that the queen be restOred.) I denied
that the answer was, or was intended
to be insulting. Mr.. Gresham said: I
say it was insulting, and Mr. Dole's
object was to say something sharp to
/ the American minister when he had
the opportunity
He continued to talk in this strain
until it became manifest he was simply
trying to provoke a quarrel, and left
the room"
Mr. Thurston then gives the details
I of a conversation with Secretary
( Gresham in which the latter accused
| Mr.. Hatch, The Hawaiian minister of
foreign affairs of being a 'scary fell
low because he said that arms for the
royalists had been sent from California.
Mr. Gresham declared the story to be
utterly untrue. This was the day after
the Instruction had actually occurred
in the islands, and Charles Carter had
been killed.
Mr.. Thurston gives in detail the man
ner in which he was betrayed by a
representative Of the United Press, in
relation to certain letters read by Mr..
Thurston to the United Press CORES
pondent. He closes as follows:
In his letter requesting my recall
/ Mr.. Gresham garbled and suppressed
my explanation, stating only that 1
claimed that the references in question
were news which I had a right to give
out.
'I had committed no breach Of dip
lomatic etiquette. but rendered an
apology that the matter had come
through the legation, even inadver-
tent1v and -llOToh y had not been
published, Mr.. Gresham Immediately
requested an apology in writing, stat
ing as a reason that this was per-
sonal matter between myself and the
president and that he ought to know
exactly what 1 said.
at submit that if. in defending my
country and my government against
the continuous attempts of Mr.. Cleve-
land and Mr. Gresham to ruin and
overthrow them. I Unwittingly brushed
the blood from the nect- ~ the deHca p
creature known as diplomatic eti-
quette' Mr.. Cleveland sr6 NJ. crezH-
am dubbed her into insensibility and
drove over her with a coach and four. -
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