The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-05-19

of rejoicing on the other closed the
tension of the day in true American
fashion.
"Do you wish to see such patriotic
kinsfolk, whose ways are mostly the
ways of the true New Highlander, ever
put under the dominance of the Brit
ish flag at those.tropic isles ? No; the
flag OF the United States should go up,
and no other.
"Note the fact that Hawaii is the
only remaining point of any value that
European greed has not yet seized
and possessed by strong army might,
too often regardless of the rights of
the original Inhabitants, and some
times under circumstances of
DIRECT CRUELTY.
Note also how Hawaii stands d.
rectly athwart the track of England's
commerce as between her dominion
of Canada and her other numerous
colonies, and how the seizure of Ha-
wall would. round out the sum of
Rritain's possessions in the Pacific
and give into her grasping and capa-
cious NAV the most advantageous
position in all that region, thus en-
abling her to threaten and thwart our
sweet will and pleasure.
"She has long cast wistful eyes in
that direction, but the note of Mr..
Webster, our secretary of state half a
century ago, apprising the cabinets of
France and England that the United
States would not look with indiffer-
ence upon any obstruction of the
autonomy of those islands by any
power whatever, coupled with the
fact of our constant maintenanceS of
ships of war in Hawaiian waters for
many years, has stayed England's
encroaching hands.
"But withina brief period she has
achieved railway communication
across the continent on her own do
main. This has led to the establish
ment of British steamship lines from
Vancouver to China and Japan, New
Zealand and Australia, and the port of
Honolulu was never so desirable and
important to British interests as now.
''The temptation, therefore, on her
part to seize and hold the islands is
great. Where her interests are con-
cerned her conscience is elastic, and
her procedures none too tender. Her
commercial activity is tireless and
her diplomacy never sleeps.
"But she should bear in mind the
growth and claims of her oldest
daughter Columbia, and not begrudge
her her chance.
sit has been argued that because of
the alleged discovery of the islands by
Capt. Cook, that in the event of the
proved incapacity of the natives to
maintain stable government, Great
Britain has the prior claim to absorb
the group, but there is sufficient
evidence to show that the Spanish
navigator Gaetano discovered several
of the islands, as early as 1879, and
that long before the days of Cook the
Spaniards had chartred the entire
group.
"Blt while we keep one eye on
England, with the determination that
the fruits of New England work at the
should also keep the other wide open
upon the schemes and movements of
Japan. That autocratic empire aims
to be q great Pacific power. She is
anxious to establish colonies after the
manner of England, and pursue like
commercial policy.
"With some 10000 OF her subjects at
Hawaii and considerable and grow
ing navy, intelligently Differed and
well manned, she will bear close
watching at the islands in view of
ner VaulLlng pOllcy.
cat the recent naval review at New
York, we had but nine vessels of our
own, yet in April, 1890, / saw the
Mikado review twenty-five ships of
his imperial fleet at Hiogo, most of
them being of European construction,
some of them
HEAVY IRONCLADS,
others fast cruisers like the Charleston,
and all armed with Krupp and Arm
strong rified cannon. In this you will
see something of the significance of
the maritime progress of that notable
people, in little more than one genera
ton.
"Note also the fact that so anxious
is that government to hasten the in
crease of its naval marine to still
larger proportions, that the Emperor
has recently announced his intentions
an immense sum yearly, and has de-
creed an income tax of 20 per cent.
upon the salaries of all officers of the
empire towards this end.
"Among the objections raised to the
of Hawaii is the alleged
difficultyof managing the present mon
grel population, but a nation that dealt
successfully with the great problem
of reconstruction at the close of our
civil war need not fear the trifiing I'M
of things political at Ha-
wall.
SIT would be suicidal in us as n
nation to permit these islands to pass
under any other flag than that of the
United States.n