[Untitled]
February 2, 1894.—Referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed.
The Congress:
I hereby transmit a communication from the Secretary of State,
accompanying a dispatch received a few days ago from our minister at
Hawaii.
Grover Cleveland.
Executive
Mansion,
February 2, 1894.
The President:
I send herewith, with a view to their transmission to Congress, if in
the opinion of the President such action is not inconsistent with
the public interest, two copies of dispatch No. 27½, under date of
January 12, from Mr. Willis, oar minister at Honolulu, it being the
only communication received from him since January 22 bearing upon
the relations between the United States and Hawaii.
Three other dispatches, Nos. 25, 26, and 27, inclosing requisitions
for stationery, duplicate accounts of transit salary, and other
papers having no relevancy to the matters which the President
submitted to Congress in his special message of December 18, came by
the same mail.
Respectfully submitted.
W. Q. Gresham.
Department of
State,
Washington
February 2, 1894.
[Page 1302]
[Confidential.]
No. 27½.]
Legation of the United States,
Honolulu, Hawaiian
Islands, January 12,
1894.
Sir: On yesterday at 6:30 p.m. I received
the Hon. S. B. Dole’s answer to my letter of January 1, requesting
him “at his earliest convenience” to give me the specifications
contained in a prior letter. His answer is about fifty pages of
closely written official paper, and has been delivered to me too
late to either copy or reply to, in time for the steamer leaving at
2 p.m. to-day.
There is one extract, however, to which I think your attention should
be called, wherein it is stated “this Government has been and now is subjected to the necessity of
increased watchfulness and large additional expense, which, but for
such attitude, would have been unnecessary.” The emphasis above is
mine. In a previous letter of December 27 Minister Dole had stated:
“The Government offices have been placed and still continue in a
condition of defense and preparation for siege, and the community
has been put into a state of mind bordering on terrorism.” The
emphasis above is mine. Some portions of the letters from which
these extracts are made confirm the above statements while others
seem to negative them. With this explanation, I submit them for your
consideration.
The next steamer leaves here February 3, which would place you in
possession of Mr. Dole’s letter and my purposed reply thereto about
February 18.
Very respectfully,
Hon. W. Q. Gresham,
Secretary of State.
