Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-10-13

"What is regarded by many as "
the most important aspect of the
treaty 'to both countries is, of course,
the political relations of this nation
with the United States. "Hawaii is
the key to the naval supremacy of the
North Pacific said SIP George Simp-
son. "To dominate these waters we
must own these islands," said Lord
George Paulet. The thoughtful
among those American statesmen who
have turned their eyes to other lands
have not failed to recognise the impor-
tance of intimate relations between
these islands and the "mother coun-
try" of its best civilization Monroe
appreciated the situation American
naval officers have written and talked
annexation for the past fifty years.
Major-Gencral Schoield, of the United
States Army has urged the vital neces-
sity of these islands to the United
States in case of foreign war. The
logical right of the United States to
exercise a protcctorate in Hawaii is
now tacitly recognised by England and
France. Yet, except few "out and
out " annexationists here, the prevail
ing sentiment of all classes is that the
present situation is the best for
Hawaii, its American residents, and
foreigners generally. With CONNER
cial treaty between this country and its
nearest neighbor, which should be truly
reciprocal, the best interest of this
nation and the United States would be
fully assured. 1t will be only after a
corrupt administration has plunged
the nation into debt, disorder and
disgrace that the foreign population as
one man will welcome annexation.
Yet everyone understands that the
United States can have this country
when 1t wants it, and that no other
country will be allowed to take ii. For
that best OF all reasons the treaty will
probably be continued. Most of the
other objections to the report of the
commissioners were fully discussed in
the Press last week,
In another column we print in detail
the table from which the estimate OF
the ownership Of sugar plantations
given in Mr.. Castles letter is taken.
1t is as accurate as the statistics obtain
able made it possible for any table to
be. With one or two exceptions,
which do not effect its accuracy by
more than $4,000, the table is a
truthful statement Of the ownership OF
sugar plantation interests in these is
lands 1t speaks for itself, and is most
cordially commended to the attention
Of the San Francisco Chronicle and
Mr.. Perry Belmont. We will gladly
print any authoritative correction OF
table as il now stands, which may be
submitted in the near future.
In writing OF this subject recently
the San Francisco Wasp said
"ln one particular the commissioners
are singularly in error. They report
that American capital is not so largely
invested in sugar planting as that OF
other foreigners Hawaiian capital, OF
course, cuts no figure at all. From
the Hawaiian Directory Of 1881 We
learn that Of the sixty-iiyc princial
plantations Americans own AZ, English
~, Germans 5, Scotch ! and Chinese
!. Since the publication OF these
statistics the proportion Of American to
other foreign capital has become much
greater. The mistake of the commls-
sioners obviously arose from contour.
ding agents with owners"
The Hawaiian Directory is, unfortu-
natey, sorry authority on which 10
base statistics. Fortunately, careful
personal inquiry has developed the fact
that The proportion Of individual
o~nesships is greater than that Of the
ownership represented in dollars and
cents As Mr. Walker very truly says