The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-06-25
Pearl Harbor.


interests himself in matters of gen.
eral concern in this country only
gets abused and ridiculed for his
pains; but ] cannot refrain a wish
to congratulate Judge Hartwell on
his very interesting and able COM
munication in yesterdays ADvER-
User, viz: the utilization of Pearl
Harbor, a subject which has been
in my own mind for years past.
There may be differences of opin-
ion on the ways and means or de-
tails of his proposition, but certainly
no sincere lover of this country will
hesitate to admit that it is oppor-
tune and to the point, and inspired
by sincere good wish for this
country. Now indeed is the time
when we ought earnestly to study
what can be done to utilize our
"diamond" of Pearl Harbor, instead
of excepting it in our trunk for our
children to utilize after our.deatb."
Judge Hartwell thinks that we
ought now to "negotiate" with
"some foreign power or combina-
ton of powers" for a cession, cor,
better still, for o long lease of Pearl
HarbOr." For my part, I am now,
just as was when the unwise
treaty of 1887 was signed, rigidly
opposed to any stcession." / favor
the absolute independence of these
islands as long as enough aborigi-
nees remain to constitute a nation;
will help all I know how the ma
tives to keep their autonomy as
long as they themselves wish for it,
and will oppose any measure which
might lead to dangerous future
complications. Consequently the
only way to properly utilize Pearl
Harbor, in my opinion, is s'leasing,
not ceding;;" and for this object /
do agree with Mr.. Hartwell that
negotiations ought to be started as
soon as possible. But I also claim
that these negotiations ought not to
be confined to foreign powers; they
onght to be opened also to private
enterprise and pluck.
Mr.. Hartwell thinks that "the
first offer is due to the United
States, then conformity to England
and Germany and last to France
and Russia conformity" beg to
differ with him in what concerns
France, and I may safely venture
to say that France would be found
absolutely Indifferent to any such
scheme, as she has no vital inter-
ests, naval or commercial, in this
part of the Pacific which would
warrant her taking charge of such
an elephant as would be to her the
financial development of Pearl Har-
Dor. With Russia, the thing is
different, and l have reasons not to
doubt that this power, if her finan-
cial situation could allow it, would,
on political grounds, be an eager
bidder for long lease of the CEN
trail harbor of the Pacific, I also
question the interest of Germany in
the matter, so that it would really
remain between Russia, England
and the United States.
But where I again beg to differ
with Mr.. Hartwell is about the
question of "priority." What we
want and must try to realize for
the best interests of the country, is
to make bargain, and good one,
pure business transaction without
any sentimentalism about it of ma
tional preferences or prejudices.
Therefore it would be foolish to
limit our chances and narrow down
our market by making privileged
or ssprior'' offers; what we need,
here as in Government work, is the
benefit of open competition, of free
bidding; in other words, if we want
to lease our diamond to the great
est advantage, we ought to put it
up practically at auction and hand
1t over to the highest bidder, who
ever he may be.
Therefore this is one of the rea-
sons why, as said before, / do not
think that we ought to confine our.
selves to political clients. If the
commercial powers of the world
were to be informed that we wish
to lease the use of Pearl Harbor,
under the conditions very justly
enumerated by Mr.. Hartwell, (as-
sumption of the present Hawaiian
debt, laying of an ocean cable, Sc
curing good entrance to the har-
Dor, and making of it generally a
complete naval station for CONNER
cial purposes.) I think that some
of the large navigation or trading
companies who will be interested in
the future navigation between Eu-
rope and Asia via some of the
American canals, might think it a
bargain worthy of their enterprise
to secure such a lease and to make
the necessary Improvements, for
which they would find ample COM
pensation, not only in the advanta-
ges accrulng to their own lines, but
also through the proper administra-
ton of the privileges, dues and re-
ceipts obtained from the general
commerce and navigation.
Furthermore, outside of the now
existing navigation companies,