Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-08-10
ENGLAND'S RASH MOVE.

Seizure of an Island Belonging to the
United States.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Aug. Sit is pos
sible, even extremely probable, that Sc
rious international complications will
result from the seizure by Great Britain
of Johnson Island, possession of the
United States. According to the rec
ords of the State Department the Unit
ed States has title to Johnson Island,
through Capt. r. PerrIman, for many
years master of vessel sailing out of
this port.
In an interview regarding the annex
alton of the island by the British gov
eminent, Capt. Perriman said: "This
is not the first time that adverse pos
session has been had of the island. The
Hawaiian government once claimed
possession of it, but after brief diplo-
matte correspondence that claim was
will be the same in the present in
stance
Regarding the claim of Capt. Parker
to the island the facts of the case are
plain. In 1907 the British frigate Corn
wallis, Capt. Johnson in command,
passed it. but none of the frigate's crew
landed and took possession. The COM
mander of the frigate jotted down on
his chart the approximate position Of
the island and called it after his vessel,
but the name was afterward
changed to that of himself. In
1852 Capt. William II. Parker,
at that time in command of the brig
Reindeer, sighted the island while on
trading expedition to the south sea ISL
ands. He jotted down it's latitude and
L. I'D
ward, while in San Francisco, he came
to the conclusion that the island would
prove valuable, as he had noticed it was
covered with guano. He claimed that
he had taken possession and lin Deem
Der, 1857, sold a fve-ejghths inter
subsequently formed the Pacific
Guano Company. "This company"
said Capt. Perriman, Chartered
the schooner Palestine, of which was
master, and dispatched her to the ISL
ands to bring back cargo. When l
landed there was no evidence that any
white man had put his foot there be-
fore me. l raised the American flag.
painted notice that | had taken pos
session of Johnson Island for the
owners of the schooner Pales-
tine, in the name of the Unit
ed States, James Buchanan, Presi-
dent, and Lewis Cass, secretary of state.
Parker did not land on the island at all
during that trip, though he was on
board the vessel. We brought back
quantity of guano on that trip and sold
it here. Since that time | have made
three other trips to Johnson Island.
The last trip was in the Golden Fleece,
about ten years ago. On that occasion
| brought back 200 tons Of guano and
disposed of the cargo in this city.
After my first visit on the Palestine,
Samuel Allen, now residing in Honolulu,
visited the place, and, knocking down
the crosses / had erected, took posses
sion in the name of the Hawaiian gov
eminent. After brief diplomatic cor
respoL dence, however, the latter gov
eminent relinquished its claim.
The island might be of use to
the United States as a coaling
station. The harbor is not good.
That it is a roadstead that during two or
three months in the year is open to the
winds from the southwest. One of the
islands great drawbacks is q lack hof
water. Below the guano is sand and
then a rock foundation as hard as flint.
Coral grows there with almost marvel
Gus rapidity."
The seizure of the island is the main
topic of conversation on Change. Capt.
Martin Roberts, one of the claimants to
the island, when asked what he intend
ed doing in the matter replied: "What
can / do? American possession
of Johnson island is we'll known
to the world, and if the
case was taken before English courts Of
equity we should be reimbursed Tor at
least the amount we have spent on the
place. But in spite of the fact that
news Of the intended seizure was pub
lished in all the papers in San Fran
cisco, the government has taken no
steps to INQUIRE into the matter.