The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-03
Continued from Fourth Pages

able to demonstrate to you that a great
part of the American and, indeed, of
all the foreign names on the Annexation
Clubs list are foreigners, not citizens
here at ALL What just influence the
membership Of that club can have on
the decision Of the President and Con
gress of the United States on the ques.
ton of annexation | need not say
In the whole period between 1884
and 1902 only 1913 foreigners have be-
come naturalized citizens of Hawaii.
The editor of the vigorous annexation
organ came here less than four months
ago, and the proprietor of this organ, a
prominent leader in the annexation
movement while he has lived here
more than a quarter Of century, has
never, he tells me, become a Hawaiian
citizen, but has-very sensibly, as |
think carefully retained his American
citizenship But is it right that he
should attempt to destroy the govern
ment and nation which has SO long
given him hospitality?
A uIsGRACEFUL POLICY
The plain truth is that the annex.
alton movement was to some extent
engineered by men who are not citi
zens, aided and encouraged by the Am
erican Minister who consulted with
them and furnished United State.
troops, without which the leaders were
helpless to upset the constitutional
government to which he was accredited
lit COMFORTS with honor and good
faith we can play that trick in any
Central American and many South
American States where Americans are
settled. But such ilibustering policy
would be a disgrace to us and put US
out of the category of honorable ma
tiOns. And all for what
The anneXauOnists here think only
of themselves, not OF US. 1t would,
they fancy, be a pecuniary advantage
to them to be annexed millions of
capital would pour in, great influx Of
capital and that is all.
Annexation is a speculation, and fol
that we of the United States are tc
give up a long settled and well ap
proved national policy, and put our
selves in the category of European
nations with distant colonies as weak
spots to be attacked, requiring large
navies and armies to defend. re
please a handful of people, many o
them not even citizens of this country
we are to assume the national burdel
of foreign policy under which severa
European nations now groan.
WOULD REQUIRE BIC DEFENSIVE
FLEET
Nor could we, if we were in want @
colonies, plant ourselves in a less con
venient or defensible situation. w
should have to defend four large island
and four smaller ones lying at SOM
distances apart TO protect all agains
attack would require great fleet il
time of war.
The channel between Oahu anC
Kauai is siXty-siX miles across, and tn
distance from Honolulu to Llhue, tn
nearest convenient anchorage on Kauai
is ninety-three miles. The channel be
tween Maui and Hawaii is twenty eigh
miles wide and that between Oahu anC
Maui thirty five miles. From Honolulu
to Lahaina anchorage is seventy-twC
miles, and from Honolulu to HilO Bay
direct zoo miles. Thus the distances
are not small.
The shore line to be guarded against
smuggIers or against an enemy is very
extensive and almost everywhere oper
to boats If we should annex the
Islands am confident smuggling wouIc
become a more profitable business
than even sugar planting has been ii
the past.
TO guard and defend those new pos
sessions we are asked to spend $40,
900, 900 or $50, 900, 900 in erectin
forts at Pearl River lagoon and deeper
ing its narrow and tortuous channel t
the sea. | am not an engineer but
struck me when | sailed up this long
crooked, narrow channel recently tina
while there is room for a large fleet i
the lagoon after it is dredged an
deepened, it would be very easy fc
two hostile ships at the mouth to hope
lessly imprson a whole feet inside
One or two good sized merchant ship
sunk at the entrance of the channt
would completely bar the way out A
this channel is crooked and only wild
enough for one ship to pass out at