The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-11-22
Our London Correspondence.
(BY PRIVATE WIRE J


to some extent the persistent and
aomewhat aggressive aud imperious
attitude OF the japanese Govern.
ment towards That OF the United
States in the early part OF the com
munications with reference TO Ha.
wall The summary and extracts
from the correspondence between
the two Governments which | sent
you few weeks ago exhibited a
curiously stiff attitude on the part
Of the Japanese, aud soothing and
even apologetic one on that Of Mr..
Sherman. The explanation is said
to be this. The American Secretary
of State has been a pronounced an
tagonist OF "foreign adventure" and
the President in his inaugural adj
dress expressed sentiments OF SINH
lar nature. Hence, when rumors of
projected annexation OF Hawaii
reached Mr.. Hoshi Toru, the Japa-
nese Minister at Washington, he dis.
regarded them, as wholly alien to
the policy and views of the pres
emit administration. But as the re-
ports grew in Inconsistency and
authority he telegraphed them to
his Government, and in pursuance
OF instructions called at the State
Department on the afternoon Of
Wednesday June 16, and saw Mr.
Sherman. Mr.. Hoshi Toru inquired
as to the truth of the report and
the intentions of the United States
Government, and was assured by
Mr.. Sherman that no such treaty
was in negotiation, and that the an
nexation OF Hawaii would be con-
trary to the interests of the United
States and to the wishes of the pres
ent administration, The Japanese
Minister got the answer he had an
ticipated, and by way of explana-
ton OF his question he stated fully
and in the most precise and in cate
gorical language the views of his
Government and its interests in Ha-
wall. He was instructed, he said,
to state explicitly that Japan had
no desire to seize Hawaii or in any
way to alter the status of the ISL
ands. Mr.. Sherman expressed salts
faction at this declaration fthe dis
pute between Japan aud Hawaii was
just hen at its highest), and the
japanese Minister went away and
reported promptly to his Govern
ment Mr.. Sherman's statements.
On Thursday morning the annexa-
tion treaty was signed, On the
same evening the Japanese Minister
addressed formal protest pending
more detailed instructions from his
Government, and on tho following
day (June 49, Mr. Sherman author
lied statement to be issued to the
effect that his view OF the general
policy of the United States in re
gard to "foreign adventure" was un-
changed. He was still as hostile to
annexation as he had been all along,
but he had felt obliged to acquiesce
in the present instance to the treaty
on account OF the claim OF Japan to
| the islands. These circumstances
naturally created intense annoyance
in japan, and led to sharpness in
the correspondence which is very
unusual in japanese official COM
munications. For Mr.. Sherman it
is said that when he denied the ex-
istence of negotiations on the We'd
nesday he was, in fact, unaware OF
them, and knew nothing OF what
was done until the following morn
ing, the whole matter having been
arranged by the President with the
Under Secretary OF the Department
However this may be, the Japanese
Government regarded the treatment
OF their Minister as unworthy. The
information supplied to him was
erroneous, and designs we're attri-
buted to Japan which her Minister
had solemnly disavowed, and hence
the determination on the part OF