The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-11
A Meeting Arranged Between the
President and the ENJOYS
From Honolulu.
This Is Interpreted to Mean That
Formal Annexation Is
Not Distant.
Com m issioner Points n Significant Fact
Concerning tho Policy Of England
and Germany.

WASHINGTON Feb. 1O.-The afternoons
developments in the Hawaiian matter ars
important. Tonight the commissioners
from ths islands are hopeful, il not conf
dent. that Tomorrow will see practical If
not formal conclusion of their abors. This
afternoon. after office hours Secretary Eos.
ter held conference with the commission
ers at the state department, which lasted
until six o'clock. In the course Of the con-
ference the com m issi toner's wero informed
that arrangements had been made for their
reception by President Harrison to-rnor-
row, probably at noon. This announce
ment Of course, gave them great pleasure,
as il marked the determination OF the ad-
min!stration to recognize them officially
and enter on formal negotiations regarding
the object of their mission.
In previous conferences the whole situa-
tion had been considered Orally, with only
memoranda in writing of points to be coy
cred. Officials of tho state department and
the commissioners have prepared from
these the texts of agreements which may be
exchanged tomorrow. That there ia prac-
tical uniformity In the documents is shown
by the statement Of one of the Hawaiians
this evening that he hoped to get through
with the business tomorrow. Tho proba-
bilities upon this latter point, however, are
that he is too sanguine for it is not con-
sidered likely that any determination will
be reached by this government until the
representatives of the deposed queen shall
have presented their side OF the case. This,
Of course, cannot be done before the latter
part Of the week.
The published interview with Paul Neu-
man, the queens commissioner to the
United States, gives the representatives. of
the provisional government much satisfac-
tion. cit disposes of the ssntime mehtal side
of the question:" said zone Of them this
evening, "of which the opponents of al
nexatlon made SO much. According to
Neuman he bears an agreement prepared in
triplicate. in which the queen proposes to
sell the islands to the United States. We
propose to give them to this country. but
the end aimed at is the same and the ma
tives will be exactly in the same position
whichever proposition ia accepted. The,
published statement tallies precisely with
what Neuman told the men half an hour
before we sailed"
Mr.. Castle. one OF the commissioners,
speaking of the annexation OF the Gilbert
islands by, England, and the moral in
volved, said Great Britain made no at.
tempt to get possession of the Gilbert
islands until after publication was made
that the United States declined to annex
the territory or establish protectorate
over it. She is now waiting for the United
States to act ON the application of the
Hawaiian government, and if nothing is
done here have no doubt Great Britain
will take come steps to got control of the
islands.
And did you ever think" he asked,
when it was Great Britain. Germany and
Spain entered upon the campaign of se,z-
ing every available island in tho Pacific?
Look back over the history of their recent
actions in this direction and you will see
they begun with the building of the new
navy by the United States. Now that the
navy is approaching u condition of effect
iveness as compared with those of European
powers. our group is the only important
ono Ieft.''