The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-10-30

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Representative contributed to the pub
LEGATION by him of discussion of this
agreement and the possibility of a pro
test by this government, and the de-
Ipartment regarded this conversation as
: indiscreet" The publication referred
to did not mention my name, nor in my
Judgment would it have been a mistake
if the Department of State had not
chosen to vouch for its accuracy and
give to it an official significance by its
own conduct.
ct certainly contained nothing OF
Substance that was not matter of COM
mon knowledge or deducfble by any
competent newspaper reporter from
facts commonly known. The sub
stance, if not the full text of the agree
ment, had been published and its eff
feet had been widely discussed.
When l accepted the appointment
of minister to China, at the request OF
the President and afterward, he ex-
pressed the earnest wish that the peo-
pie of this country should be reused to
keen interest on the Pacific situation
both commercially and politically; he
felt that our greatest problem lay there
and that our people were not fully
awake to it's importance.
ADVISED BY PRESIDENT.
LAS 1 stated in a public address in
Chicago September IA the President ad-
vised me to accept all available lnvi-
tations to public meetings and dinners
and said: DO not miss any of them,
and when you go to one insist on
speaking and let them have it red hot.
l assumed that the President wished
me to discuss realities and not plati-
tudes. l have not had experience as a
public speaker and it was and is a
difficult role, but l have done my best
to carry out the Presidents wishes.
The difficulty has also been Increased
by the absence of specific instructions
from the State Department and of any
adequate discussion with its officials as
Ito the policy of this government
have been much gratified that no criti-
cism had come to me from any official
source until l was recalled to Wash
ington last week. With the previous
approval of the President l had ar
ranged to go to China by way Of Eu-
rope, so that l might have conferences
with well informed and influential per-
sons of widely divergent interests and
points of view, and l had made many
valuable appointments. It was then
suggested by Mr.. Knox that it would
be better for me to proceed by way of
the Pacific Contrary to my under
that this matter should be
fully discussed with the President in
with Secretary Knox, the
Secretary informed me that it would
be unnecessary to see the President,
and that l should proceed by way of
Japan. 1t was then agreed that l
should sail October 5 with the minis
ter to Japan. 1t was told that letters
would be given to me and arrange
ments made for seeing important per-
sons in Japan.
CRITICISES OFFICIALS.
Il have not since then seen Secretary
Knox except on last Sunday, nor have
had any adequate discussion with T.
the department as to it's policy. Some
days before the date set for my de- /
parture l came to Washington and ,
with considerable difficulty made
number of appointments with the first
secretary of state, no one
Of which did he keep nor explain his /,
failure to keep. No papers, not even
my official credentials were ready for
me when l left Washington for San
Francisco, with just time to catch the
steamer / have not examined the pa
pers from the State Department, which
cached me in San Francisco after the
telegrm reclling me to
AS 1 was hurriedly leaving Wash
ngton representative of an import
mt paper asked me about the China
Japanese agreement, and l said that
he matter was under consideration, as
vas well known, but that no decision
lad been reached, and l may have
aid, although l do not recall it, that
obviously no statement would be pre-
JARED in the absence of Mr.. Hoyt
.dvised him to get thoroughly inform
ID upon the whole subject as it would
re of the greatest Importance that it
e handled intelligently by the Ameri-
an press if official action were taken.
his is the sum of my offending. On