Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-01
WnN MD NElEn m


WHY WE NEED m
san Francisco, Cal. Jan. 81 The lIn-
wuiinn Islands have been ,hp scene of
numerous revolutions, but through nl
these the foreign nations which have had
Hawaii Ia their keeping have insisted
upon sustaining the hands of the SOY.
crelgn, and have refused 90 yield To amy
demands for pr0tectorntp COR auneXn-
ton. One los one the South lSsn Islands
have PASSED under the yoke of European
powers, until now only Samoa aud llu-
Waii rrtin any vcstuge of independence
ON the Hawaiian Islands American in
nuencc has always been predominant.
and This Influence has greatly Increased
during the last ten years, 80 that now
this nation rs In control Of the kingdom
In everything except iu MIME. The Iu-
w3iaus shin ninp-teuths of thpir pro-
ducts In san Francisco and more thnn
three.quurtcrs of all their imports come
from The United States. Their great In
dustry sugar raising, has huurishcd
enormously for ten years. Tut the Me
knlcy bill gave it q desperate blow.
Hence the demand Tor annexation To- the
United States, which has increased dur
ing the hast year Several prominent men
are opposed 60 annexation. but the for
cigucrs who depend for their living ON
the growing Of sugar. as well as the uu-
uyps who have The interests of thgir
country sucredly at heart, are unanimous
IN the opinion that annexation To this
country would remedy the worst evils
from which the islands are suffering.
These men say that II is only the qucs-
tiCa Of few years when the islands
muct full into the hands Of some foreign
power. Great Britain covets them be-
cause Of the great advantages they offer
as q cOalng station and rendezvous for
a navy. English agents have been
IA. g. IN hUI nj a.
movement for annexation to the British
crown, but the llnwa'lans prefer the
Americans.
HAWAiTS STRATEGIC POSITION.
The essential public interest attaching
Ia Hawaii grows out OF It's central pO-
sitiou Ia the commerce OF the Pacific.
Honolulu is exactly IN the track of all
steamers smiling TO Australia from Snn
Francisco or Puget Sound. The trade la
this line is between kindred peoples. and
already includes one line of monthly
steamers, with other lines In early pros
pect, Even more precisely is Honolulu
iu the direct route OF one part Of that
enormous traffic from Atlantic 10 Pa
cihc ports which awaits the cutting of
the Nicaragua ship canal, 20 burst in
one impetuuus tide through the isthmus.
All the trade with China and Japan
from American ports pn the Atlantic
must take the Nicaragua route II h
this large movement OF ocean commerce
impending In the Immediate future which
lends the most serious Importance TO
the political relations Of the Hawaii
kingdom Every ship from the Atlnntic
crossing the Pacific 10 Asia viii nntur-
ally sight the Hawaiian Islands. and
every steamer viii be likely TO replenish
her coal bnnkcrs nt Honolulu. This fact
win render the political condition aud IN
ternation relations Of Hawaii of import
ance.
Although not upon the shortest or
great circle route between California and
China Honolulu Us practically % c0uYen-
lent port Of call for steamers upon that
line as many Of tlem now do call This
tendency win increase with the coming
growth Of Honolulu as @ general calling
aud cOaling station. Il Is uls0 "a nnturnl
port tO call and supply for ships 10 Cbinn
from Cullao and Valparaiso. H0noulu
Is the great crUss-r1ads Of Pacific com-
mercc. Moro than This Honolulu rs
the only cross- rOads Of tho North pnciGc
and the North Pacific win be the chief
region of commerce. This port Is wholly
alone in its commanding position n has
absolutely no competitor. From the Mar
quesas 10 the Aleudans Hawaii Is the
only land ia that tremendous ocean eY-
pansc west Of America whore ship
can call within a space of $500 miles
from San Francisco and GOO from Me
aragua.
NO OTHER PACIFIC STATIONS.
At those distances but FAR south Of
the route. lies the poor little haven Of
lalust and liltle beyond Il that OF
StrOngs Island. These are over 1000
miles beyond Hawaii. Scarcely any
where else ON thc globe does there
stretch 50 vast an expanse Of ocean nb-
sOlutely devoid OF land as that which
rolls mnbr0ken by reef OF islet he
tween Hawaii aud America FROM any
point between Pnnamn aud Sitka bird
flying westward nnds 40 inch u firm rest