The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-06-26
THINKS EMPRESS Is WRONG.
seiives Russia. Germany ana France
wal Work Together In China
sin 1895.

Hundreds OF people visited the
French cruiser Protet SUNDAY. and
doubtless many more would have gone
had they known that the statement in
a morning paper that nobody aboard
could talk English WAS absolutely false
Visitors we're met at the gangEay BY a
typIcally polite Frenehman In the uni
form Of sergeant. who. in the best OF
English. inquired If you wished to see
anyone in particular While The Re
publican representative was waiting
for Commodore NJ Germinet TO finish
his luncheon. this sergeant took party
all over the ship. explaining In English
the use OF this and the size of that, &C
casionally stopping TO look searchingly
INTO his hearers faces TO see whether
he had used the correct word or given
IL the correct accent. A great many of
the tubes and equipments are labeled
with neat brass signs which correspond
so closely to the English spelling that
one almost forgets he is aboard a
French ship but for the triangular fea-
lures. accentuated by the French
goatee, one meets at every turn.
During the tour of the ship an or
derby came rushing up to say that the
commodore was ar liberty Arriving at
the vestibule OF the commodore's suite,
the orderly stopped. and, with a de-
eided gesture to wait for permission
before entering. disappeared soon to
return with tall. business-like ap-
pearing officer who turned out to be
the commodore's aid-de-camp. He in
turn disappeared. and. finally. receiving
permission, ushered the reporter with
much ceremony into the presence of
the commodore, whose command is
obeyed by the French feet throughout
the entire Pacific ocean, excepting that
portion which is attached TO the China
station
Commodore Germinet is a most gem
ial gentleman, and was on the China
station himself for three years in the
early SOS. He has not lost his interest
in China, however, although he states
positively that his squadron could not
be used in Chinese waters, even in an
emergency. He is entirely Independent
OF the French admiral in the China sea,
direct to Paris. And to be
independent is the greatest thing in
life" said he. OF course his replies to
direct questions about China were in
variably a French shrug of the shoul-
ders and the most pleasant That is
very difficult question" However, he
did not hesitate TO say that, in his
opinion, Russia, France and Germany
would work together in any trouble in
China. and, further, he said the En-
press Dowager was making big mis-
take.
Have you met the Empress Dow
ager?"
''Oh, no. Why, when I was in China
no one was permitted to see the En-
peror. 1t was was forbidden to know
the Emperor's age. Some guessed he
was Z, some that he was II and some
thought him II. These were the mem
bers of the Diplomatic Corps. / was
then aid-ic-camp to the admiral and
saw great deaf of the diplomats. Yes,
the Empress is said to be very shrewd
and willy diplomat (then pausel in
some ways, but perhaps not for her
best interests and the interests Of the
dynasty she represents. l think she
has made a great mistake and that her
dynasty will not rule much longer"
In what way she had made the mis-
take the crafty commodore declined TO
specify. nor would he say anything
about the Boxers, except that 1T is
indeed very difficult question" When
it was suggested to him that America
was too busy in the Philippines to trou
BILE herself about China, the commo
dore glanced suddenly out of the mo-
mentarily lowered eyelids and said;
Yes" in a way which might have
meant almost anything under the sun,
but it struck the reporter that he did
not think America would keep herself
out of the Chinese question.
Commodore Germinet is charmed
with Honolulu. and says he has been
splendidly treated here. II it were not
for the fact that his orders are to cele-
brate the national feast day, as he calls
it. July II. in Tahiti. where his entire
will be assembled for tie
purpose. he would be glad to stay long
er in Honolulu. He stayed over Sun
day just to please the Bishop of Pan
opolis. He promises to send another
ship. up here next year. He will leave
the Pacific station next year. having al
ready spent one of the two years which
assignments last in the French navy.
The Protet sails Wednesday.
c,>,,,, 90 ,ha ot;x-a woods of 4ba 10