Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 41, 4 November 1893 — The Stevens-Wiltze-Dole Combination. [ARTICLE]

The Stevens-Wiltze-Dole Combination.

i. - - j Washington, Octol>er 25-— i CommO>dore Stauton, acting Rear-A«lmiral of the United States fieet in Br zilian waters, j was to dav summarily relieved of his command by Secretarv of the ; Navv IIerb*-rt and ordered home. The Commodore's otfen.se was in saluting Admiral Mello, the leader of the Brazilian insurgents who with his squadron is h«)lding Rio in blocka«le. fhe belligerents are not recognized bv this G>vernment, and Commodore . Stanton's action as it isconstrued here was-in a sense the recognition of them as a power, aml eoulil not f »il to give otftuse to the Peixoto Governmeut, with ' whieh this Government holds , friendly relatious. Tbe Navy Department had no • oAieial kuowledge cf Commander Stunous's action until to cay and the Secr tary immediately cabled to Rio for a full report of the j>receedings. A cablegram frora Berlin stating that the Americau Commodore and A«lmiral Mello bad exchangod salutes was j>rinted to-day, bot in the absence of official reports from the acting Rear Admiral it was thonght at first that no serion? indiscretion had beeu coramitted. Secretary Herbert woukl not dicnss his order fnrther than to say that Commodoxe Stantou has been relieved of command for what is regarded as a gross violation of the rules of thc navy. C0NFEBRED WITH CLEVEI.AND. Before Secret try Herbprt cab!ed toCommander Stanton torelin«}uish command of the to Captain Picking of the Charleston. thenext officer in rank, he had a Iong eonference with Pres:dent C!eveland and Secrebary Greshair. and this Ied to the rejiort that the Brazilian Governoient fild a protest with the State Department through Mmister Mendonca. Secretary Gresham woul«l neither deny nor admit that the Peixoto Government had formaIIy expressed its displeasure. He said the matter is in the hands of the Secretary of the Navy and he cou!d not make any s*tatement. Minister Mendonca said that as the dip!omatic representative of Brazil he could make no comment on Commander Stantion’s action. Secretary Herl»ert was inclined to discredit the cablegram from Berlin when it was first shown him. O>modore Rar.say and olher high officials at the Department were reluctant to believe that Comodore Stanton. who has seen long years of service and has a brilliant record, could blunder so seriously. A numher of cablegrams were sent to R5o after the conference bet«een the Presideut and Secretaries Gresham and Herbert, aud the r j plies received. judging frcm the sumraary rem >val of C*>rr»odore Stanton fiv)m command, must bave left liltle room for donbt »s to the ser;ous character ot bis action.