The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-12-19
AMERICAS OPPORTUNITY IN
THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
Shall the Key to the Pacific Ocean
Pass Into British HandsP
From the Daily Kennebec Journal, ]

IrTOHl lllt DullN hplutUtC JOuTlldl'
1t is an accepted truism that ma
tions, as well as individuals, have
their opportunities and duties, and
that the neglect of them, through
Incidence or cowardice, surely brings
retribution in one form or another.
The States and Territories which
outlet on the vast Western ocean
will some day have population of
one hundred and fifty millions of
souls. This Pacific side of the
American republic, stretching from
north Alaska to south California,
coast line of four thousand miles,
without including the seventeen
hundred miles of shore line of Puget
Sound, is to have development of
agricultural, lumber, fisheries, and
mineral riches, out of which will flow
streams of commerce, which neither
the imagination nor cold figures can
well cover at the present time.
In the front of these vast Pacific
| States extends the immense ocean of
the Pacific. Across this vast Pacific
plain must be for all time the water
roads along which will move the
commerce of many hundreds of mil
lions of people. Anchored firmly
between the two great oceans,
America divides with Europe the
commerce of the Atlantic, Europe
having the advantage by numbers,
position, and prestige. But on the
great Western ocean America can
easily take the lead and hold it
securely against all competitors. To
do this she must improve her oppor-
tunities. Sloth and cowardice never
win anything worth having. Time
waits neither for individuals nor
nations. Success is for those who
dare.
In this immense area of water be-
tween America and Asia a reinnumer-
able islands, so needful to the future
commerce between the two great
continents. The most of these ISL
ands are now possessed by England,
France, and Spain. Germany but
recently forcing her grasping hand
into the arena. Owing to the patri-
otto fidelity of the American Mis-
sionary Board and its faithful
agents, and to the watchfulness of
American statesmen, from Daniel
Webster to those of the present
time, the Hawaiian Islands have not
passed under European flag.
Greedy, grasping, and sometimes in
sulting as have been our rivals as to
American interests in these islands
they are not yet lost to us, and their
business necessities and the sympa-
thies of their citizens are still with
their American neighbors. 1t needs
not the naval and the military
expert to tell the importance OF
these islands to the United States
They front our coasts. They are
sufficiently near the gateways of oul
rapidly rising Pacific cities to fee
the pulses of American enterprise and
to contribute to American prosper.
ity and power. 1t is to repeat the
opinion of the most intelligent com
mercial, naval, and military men tc
say that the Hawaiian Islands are
the key to the North Pacific. Coal
ing stations, feeding places, are in
dispensable to American commerce
on great oceans. 1t is the veriest
folly to think or to talk otherwise
The time is near when we must
decide who shall hold these islands
as part of their national territory
1t is not possible for them much
longer to remain alone. Their peo
pie and the United States will soor
be compelled by circumstances anc
events to decide whether the Hawai-
ian Islands will have unity, liberty
and autonomy with the United
States, or become colonial posses
sion of European power. What
Webster, Clayton, and Marcy saw
forty years ago, and Seward, Fish
and Blaine, and the Administration
they represented clearl y perceived
may now well be considered by the
American people.
The entire area of the islands is