The morning call., 1893-02-03
OUR REASONS FOR CONTROLLING
HAWAII.


BY and by, perhaps, the public will be
allowed TO get at the truth. a few days
ago dispatch bearing every resemblance Of
authenticity announced that Sir Julian
Pauneefote. British Minister to Washington,
would on the following day lodge a protest
on the part of Great Britain against inter-
ference by the United States with the affairs
OF Hawaii. On the following day this in
formation was qualified by an assertion that
the protest would be private and unofficial.
Now the truth comes out in the shape of an
encouragement that Sir Julian has never
been directed or authorized to file any pro-
test whatsoever So with the other state
ments regarding the wrath of the British
lion. Ii does notappearthat Mr.. Gladstone
or any one authorized TO speak for him has
expressed an opinion one way or another on
the subject of the recent occurrences on the
islands. OF on their possible bearing on the
foreign policy OF the United States. At this
moment the sensation monger5 are in such
straits that they are redu ed 10 fall back on
the utterances Of second;orithird class Eng
fish newspapers. which have no more claim
to speak for Great Britain than the San
Francisco Chronicle has to speak for the
United States.
4
ing imbroglio il IS that the islands should
fall under the control of the United States.
If they were American they would be more
prosperous than they are, would produce
more sugar and rice, and would consume
more foreign goods. portion of which
would come from England. No Englishman
of intelligence wonld think for moment of
annexng them TO the British empire. For
= D.. s.f,- u, .,,lo
would be regarded in this country as an act
Of hostility which would strain the relations
between the two countries 20 the verge OF
rupture. We could no more suffer Great
Britain to occupy the islands than she could
suffer tn American occupation of Ireland.
At the time the British landed marines on
Oahu, while the French dispatched troOIs
10 support their missionaries in Hawaii, in
1913. the United States had not acquired
California, and had little interest on the
Pacific Coast, yet even then the European
powers admitted the justice of the Ameri-
can contention that the Islands ought not
10 fall into Eur0rean hands Nor did Great
Britain interpose the slightest objection
when the people Of Samoa begged General
Grant 70 establish an American protectorate
over that group. England refused to annex
Samoa herself. though the Legislature of
New Zealand insisted on her doing 50; and
the British Minister at Washington. speak
Ing for his Government expressed regret
hen the United States determined to
pursue the same policy of nOn-intervention.
AS measure Of farseeiDg craftsmanship
the United States ought to extend their lag
over the Hawaiian Islands in order 10 pre-
pare for the evenIuaIities Of the future. He
must be shorts GIFTED indeed who does not
foFesee that in the coming centuries the
Pacific Ocean will become the chief center
Of human activity, aud that the extension
Of commerce and intercourse on Pacific
waters will lead, as such extensions always
have, to wars and territorial eonQuests.
! When that era comes the possession of the
Sandwich ISLANDS will be amatter of PRIME
Importance. They will be to the North
! Pacific what Malta has been 20 the MediteT-
ranean. The power which holds them,
with impregnabe modern Publications.
fully equipped dockyards and an ample
stock of coal. will dominate the Pacific
north of the equator. And though il is no
part OF the purpose Of he United States to
work cut its destiny through the agency q
war, yet still it must not be forgotten that
the occupation of the islands by foreign
poweT-not necessarily European. but more
likely Chinese or japanese. when those
nations become aggressive. as they may
would interfere very seriously with the
pacific purpose Of the United States TO ex-
tend commerce and civilization through the
lands that are washed by the great ocean Of
the world