The Portland daily press., 1890-04-23
IN THE PACIFIC.
How We Are Regarded by the Hawaii
an Islanders.

WASHINGTON, April 22-Despatches from
Honolulu announce state of tension be-
tween a majority of the cabinet and the
king, over proposed new treaty with the
United States. The cabinet, it Is said, wish
to ratify the treatr, while the attorney gen.
eral opposes it, and the king sustains his
view.
Mr.. Frank P. Hastings, who was for IS
years vice consul-general of the United States
at Honolulu, and who has recently come
here, said to a reporter last evening: Public
sentiment at Honolulu, among the business
men and the Americans who really control
the business interests of the Hawaiian Is
lands is favorable to the proposed new treaty
of reciprocity between the United States and
the Sandwich Islands. The treaty provides
for the free exchange Of the products Of the
two countries. The chief product Of the
Hawaiian group is sugar, of which the ex.
portation last year was over $4,000 tons,
equal in value to over S13,000,000. The OPP
position to the proposed treaty is confined to
natives, English and Germans and other for
eign elements, who are jealous Of the pres
tige which Americans now enjoy there. The
cabinet and government are generally in the
hands of the Americans, who have up to this
time eXerted a controlling influence.
The news has reached there that the United
States Congress Is about to abolish the duty
on raw sugars. Heretofore the sugars OF
the Hawaiian group have been admitted to
the United States free OF duty since 1876, un-
der the present treaty, and therefore its peo-
pie have had an advantage over other sugar
producing countries. The British interest
at Honolulu is taking advantage Of the pro-
posed change in the American tariff making
all sugars free, to influence the natives by
holding cut to them the inducement that
Canada will give them the same treaty ad-
vantages they now enjoy with the United
States.
Another argument advanced to them is
that their independence will be much more
than by the United States as provided for by
the proposed treaty. The prosperity these
islands enjoy is due mainly to the efforts of
Americans. Their trade in 1875 before the
existing treaty went into effect, was only a
little over So, 10000 In 1889 the total i'm
ports and exports amounted to S19.3l4, 1872,
"a per cent of which was with the United
States. Nine tenths of the bottoms engaged
| in the carrying trade are owned by American
capital. The attorney general is Canadian,
and has just returned from visit to Canada.
| In opposing the projected treaty with the
| United States he is aiding the British influ.
| ence, which 10 jealous OF the epresentAmerican
| supremacy and wants to get finger in the
| pie. To still further strengthen American
| influence in the Hawaiian group, it would De
only necessary for the United States govern.
ment to take advantage of the cession ot
| Pearl-river har5or as a naval and coaling sta
| tiOn, for which object 1t was ceded. Th,
| United States has the sole and exclusive
| right to that harbor which at this time wouIt
make American interests in the North Pacif
ic as secure as they would be in any par
| of our territory.