Jere Krischel at 07:58, 7 February 2006

2006-02-07T07:58:20Z

Ken Conklin at 21:38, 31 January 2006

2006-01-31T21:38:08Z

Jere Krischel at 05:14, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:14:36Z

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1078 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
made through your own officers, that the landing of the troops wasnot
necessary, you would not land them1? In other word's, the tiling is
still left entirely in your charge?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes; but if 1 do not comply with the request and anything
happened detrimental to the United States I am responsible.
The regulations hold me to that.
Senator BUTLER. It has become a question of tweedledum and
tweedledee between Mr. Blount and Mr. Stevens—one is a request and
the other a command. Suppose Admiral Skerrett had declined, on his
responsibility, to take down the flag and send his troops back on the
ship, and anything had happened to the American legation and American
life and property, Admiral Skerrett would have been responsible?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes.
Senator FRYE. Would he not have been tried by a court-martial?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes.
Senator FRYE. And would he not have read the Naval Regulations,
which are law, to determine whether he had obeyed the regulations?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes.
Senator BUTLER. The same responsibility rested on Admiral Skerrett
in declining to obey the order as rested on him in obeying it—if anything
had happened to American interests in Honolulu by the American
troops remaining on shore, he would have been responsible. So that
the responsibility is pretty well understood to be that an Army or Navy
officer sent off on an expedition of that kind is vested with a certain
amount of discretion?
Mr. BELKNAP. He is to determine in his own mind what the interests
of the Government demand. Daring this last cruise I sent officers and
men up to the capital of Korea, 40 miles from Chemulpo. I received a
telegraphic order to cooperate with the minister, and when the minister
sent to me for a force I dispatched it to him in conformity with the order
of the Secretary of the Navy to cooperate with the minister.
Senator BUTLER. YOU did it on your own responsibility.
Mr. BELKNAP. On my own responsibility, in interpretation of the
orders of the Secretary, the wishes of the minister, and of my own personal
knowledge of Korean affairs.
Senator FRYE. Before this order of the Secretary of the Navy, given
to Admiral Skerrett to obey the orders of Mr. Blount, did you ever
know of any such order?
Mr. BELKNAP. I never heard of it.
Senator FRYE. Did you ever know of a minister or commissioner in
a foreign country making such an order as Mr. James H. Blount made
to Admiral Skerrett? I refer to the one 1 have just read.
Mr. BELKNAP. Never. As I said before, it is the most peremptory
order I ever saw in print.
Senator FRYE. The order of Capt. Wiltse to the officers who took
the troops on shore is as follows:
" S I R : You will take command of the battalion and land in Honolulu
for the purpose of protecting our legation, consulate, and the lives
and property of American citizens, and to assist in preserving public
order."
Now, I would like to ask you what are the rights of officers in command
of ships in foreign countries touching the matter of preservation
of public order ? That part of Capt. Wiltse's order was not in response
to the request of Mr. Stevens. He said nothing about public order;
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1079
he adopts the old diplomatic form of expression, protection of life and
property; whereas Capt. Wiltse in his order uses the additional expression,
"assist in preserving public order." What do you understand to
be the rights of a commanding officer with regard to preserving public
order in foreign countries?
Mr. BELKNAP. All the foreign countries are not alike as regards the
conduct of ships of war. There are small governments where the fleets
would act differently from what they would in larger countries; but
the landing of a force is a grave act and should always be well considered.
Senator BUTLER. And 1 suppose they are in large measure controlled
by the treaty stipulations of those countries?
Mr. BELKNAP. In great measure; but in Honolulu there is not a
street, there is not a precinct, there is not a corner of it where an
American is not living or has not his business and property, and to
protect that property it is necessary, in case of a riot, where the police
can not control, to land a force from a ship.
Senator FRYE. Then you would say that Capt. Wiltse, if in his judgment
he thought there was liability of a riot and the likelihood of the
destruction of American property, had a right to order his troops ashore,
one of his purposes being to preserve public order?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes; I would have done the same thing under the
same circumstances.
Senator FRYE. SO that when you landed your troops in 1874, notwithstanding
the fact you knew the result of lauding those troops and
interfering with that mob to preserve public order would result in the
maintenance of King Kalakaua on the throne, you would have done
what you did by way of landing the troops and putting down the riot?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes.
Senator FRYE. It is not for the officer or minister to take into consideration
what would be the effect of such landings and putting down of
riots; he is concerned simply in the fact that they are landed for the
purpose of protecting life and property?
Senator BUTLER. That is true in time of peace, not in time of war?
Mr. BELKNAP. In time of war it would be a different question.
Senator BUTLER. For instance, you would not feel warranted in
landing a force at Bio now?
Mr. BELKNAP. NO; SO" far as I understand the situation at this
distance.
Senator BUTLER. Mr. Frye asked you some questions with regard
to the power of naval officers. Suppose you were in charge of the
Charleston, we will say, at the port of Liverpool or Copenhagen, and
you were ashore and a riot were about to break out, would you feel
authorized to land a force to protect American property?
Mr. BELKNAP. No, unless the Government confessed its inability to
afford protection.
Senator BUTLER. So that it is not universal?
Mr. BELKNAP. NO.
Senator FRYE. HOW about Panama?
Mr. BELKNAP. In Panama we have the right by treaty. I landed
there myself.
Senator BUTLER. But it is not a universal rule?
Mr. BELKNAP. NO.
Senator BUTLER. It is done in pursuance of some treaty stipulations
between our Government and the government where the troops
are landed.

Template:1078-1079 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 07:58, 7 February 2006

Ken Conklin at 21:38, 31 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 05:14, 12 December 2005