The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-02

! WASHINGTON, d. c., May 16.-Her-
| bert Goldsmith SQuiers of New York was
/ today nominated to the Senate by Pre-
| sident Roosevelt to be Envoy EXtraor-
| binary and Minister Plenitopentiary to
| the Cuban republic. At the same time
| General Edward S. Bragg of Wisconsin
was nominated Consul General at Ha-
| Vana.
The nomination of Mr.. Squiers is not
| approved by army and naval men. He
was first secretary of the legation at
| Peking during the Boxer troubles and
| preferred charges of cowardiCe against
Captain Newton H. Hail. who WAs in
command of the United States marines,
then the main part of the legation
guard Captain Hall demanded a court
of inquiry as soon as the legations were
relieved, and this court ordered by
General Chaffee not only eXOnerated
Hail. but recommended that he be bre-
vetted for conspicuous bravery in the
| line of duty.
The court of inquiry in it's report said
that the charges against Captain Hall
were largely due to "petticoat politics"
in the legation. Mr. Squiers was trans
ferred from Berlin to Picking in 1900,
only a short time before the Boxer up
rising. His wife thought she ought to
be recognized by the marine guard, as
was the wife of Minister COnger. She
rebuked the marines because they did
not give her official recognition by pre-
senting arms when she passed them at
the gate and she also complained to
Captain Hall. The Captain expressed
his regret, but explained that he could
not require his men to salute any one
except the Minister. The marines, he
said, had saluted Mrs. Conger, not as
right due her position, but purely as
a courtesy because of her consideration
for the men. She had been exceedingly
kind to them, looking after their conf
fort in many ways while in the legation
compound.
This explanation did not satisfy Mrs.
Squiers. She and other women with
like grievances are said to have begun
a campaign of petty persecution against
marines. When the siege of the lega-
tons began the British Minister, Sir
Claude Macdonald, assumed command
of the defenses, and Mr.. Spiers was de-
signated as second in command. In
that capacity Mr.. Spiers assumed diree-
ton of the movements of the marines
and he ordered Captain Hall to hold a
certain position on the wall. In this
position the men were exposed to the
fire of the Boxers and Captain Hall as
sumed responsibility for changing their
position to one more protected and more
capable of defensive warfare.
For this Secretary Spiers preferred
charges of cowardice against him, and
the court of inquiry found that Captain
Hall had done his full duty meriting
reward rather than censure. The court
also found that unworthy motives had
been behind the charges of cOwardice.
The court sat in Picking, but Mr..
Squiers did not appear against Captain
Hall. The incident caused much feeling
against the secretary in army and navy
circles.
There have been other criticisms of
Mr.. Squier's conduct in Peking, and it
is said that charges will g preferred
against him and laid before the Senate
committee on foreign relations. These
relate to the alleged looting of the Chi
nese palaces in Picking. Mr.. Squiers
brought home with him a large colleC-
ton of valuable art works. which he
has presented to the Metropolitan mu-
scum in New York. This collection was
denied free admission at the custom
house in San Francisco, and the cOntrO-
Versy has not been settled. Mr.. Squres
explanation is that he purchased these
things in Picking.
Jacob Sleeper of Massachusetts has
been selected for appointment as first
secretary of legation at Havana, He
was recommended by Senator Lodge.
He was secretary Of legation for the
United States at Bogota from 1892 to
1898. He was private secretary to Gov
Governor of Porto Rico.