The morning call., 1893-02-01
T.E VOICE OF THE VETERANS.
Speeches in Favor of Annexation at
a LOyaI Legion Banquet.

of->~h>o th avn vi O.
Loyal Legion Banquet.
The California Commandery of the Mill
tary Order of the Loyal Legion held their
quarterly meeting and banquet at the Occi-
dental Hotel last evening.
General 5. w. Backus presided. About
ninety veteran officers of the regular and
volunteer army and navy were in attend
ance.
Colonel Edward Byrne. Eighteenth New
York Cavalry; Captain E. b. Zabriskie,
First Nevada Cavalry, and Lieutenant Will
liam Wnders, United States navy. were
elected companions of the order.
Captain ii. A. Gorley read an Interesting
paper entitled, The Loyal Calfornians
Of 1861"
General Backus brought the question OF
the annexation OF the Hawaiian Islands
before the meeting, and his remarks in ia
y0r OF that measure were received with
deafening applause.
The following resolutions were adopted
unanimously, every companion rising and
cheering:
Resotced, That it Is the sense of the
CommandeTy of California, NJ. q. l.. l.. u.
s.. that the Hawaiian Islands should be
annexed TO the United States. and that the
flag OF our country should be raised over
those who are appealing to us to help them
in their struggles for freedom.
Resotred, That under no circumstances
ought the United States permit any foreign
power 10 exercise control or any foreign
flag TO float over these islands of the Pacific
In replying TO the toast The Command
cry OF Massachusetts" Post Commander A
a. Smith Of that commandery predicted
that the star of empire in its westward
course would not stop until it reached
Honolulu. There was renewed cheering
over this sentiment,
Captain Tanner of the United States
steamer Albatross. who was engaged in sur
yeying the routo for cable to the Hawai-
ian Islands. also spoke. The question of
laying such a cable. he said, had been dis
cussed for many years because of the neces-
SHY Of completing the teegraphic circuit Of
the globe. The distance of the cable re-
Gently laid between Brazil and Africa was
Eve elies longer than that ppposed to be
laid between San Francisco and Honolulu
In 1874 the first surveys for an Hawaiian
cable was made. One was from the Golden
Gate to Honolulu. and the other was from
San Diego TO the same point. The latter
was abandoned as impracticabe.
Such cable, Captain Tanner said, would
hardly be expected 10 pay dividends. The
survey by an English company for cable
from Australia TO Samoa was very nearly
finished. The Hawaiian cable would COM
plete the circuit
The United States had been held respon-
sible for main ntaining peace at the islands.
1t now appears that we are likely to be
responsible for their permanent peace. On
political grounds the need for the cable was
becoming urgent The question now was
whether that cable was TO be started from
Vancouver or from San Francisco. and the
captain was of the opinion-though the
question was a political one and not for him
TO dlscuss-that the people of the United
States and their Congress should see to it
that the able was at this end and be laid
from some point on the coast of California
Captain Ii. c. CochTane of the United
States Marine Corps, who was present when
the English fleet bombarded Alexandria
told how pleased he WAS when he read
yesterday morning the comments of
the French newspapers on the Ha-
waiian question, wherein they punched
John Bull in the ribs for stealing
Egypt Captain Cochrane thought that
France and Russia would join together
and say TO England ''hands OFF, in the
event of any attempt on her part to inter
fere with the United States in the matter of
annexing the Hawaiian Islands.
Colonel Smedberg presented a memorial
on the death of Companion Rutherford B.
Hayes, late commander-in- chief of the Order
Of the Loyal Legion. which was adopted.