Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-03-17
KEY OF THE PACIFIC.
Pearl River HarbOr. Gives
Uncle Sam the Mastery.
WHAT Mr.. E0MUNDS SAYS
In Figuring Upon the Possible Loss of
Most Important Station.

WAsHINGToN, March l7.-Ex Senator
Edmunds has this to say concerning Mr..
Lodges statement about the Pearl river
harbor:
II am sorry to see that Senator Lodge
appears from newspaper reports 10 be
under the impression that the grant OF
Pearl river harbor by the Hawaiian gov
ernment To the United States was limited
only To seven years, during which
Hawaiian sugar, etc. were TO be intro
duced into the United States duty free.
And am surprised at what Is reported To
be the contention of President Dole to the
same effect.
81 regret that proceedings OF the senate
in considering and ratifying the last con-
vention with Hawaii have not been made
public, but without violating any duty of
confidence, can say that the convention
was agreed upon between Frelinghuysen
and Carter the Hawaiian minister, on
Dec. 9, 1854, and soon afterwards sent to
the senate for consideration.
Pith of the Treaty.
''The senate did not advise the ratifica-
tion until Jan. 20, 1887. Evidently there
was difficulty in the senate in respect OF
allowing further introduction of free
sugar, and that at last, for some reason
which | am not at liberty to state the de-
tail Of the senate agreed to ratify with
one most important additional clause,
which appears rs article 2 OF the conven-
tion AS published in the statutes. That
article IL in these words:
His majesty King Of the Hawaiian Islands,
grants TO the government of the United States
tho exclusive rights TO enter tho harbor OF
Pearl river in the island or Oahu, and to es-
tablish and maintain there a coaling and re-
pair station for the use OF vessels OF the United
States and TO that end the United States may
improve the entTanoe T. said harbor and do
all other things needful for the purpose afore-
said.
1T will be seer that 10 was positive
and unlimited grant ia PRESENT. from one
political community having perpetual ex-
istence TO another, and therefore neces.
sarily both in its literal and general sense
perpetual right which became then and
forever the absolute snd exclusive prop
erty of the United States.
VIII Never Part with It.
"It Is certain, therefore, that the United
States have and will continue To have
until they choose TO part with 1t (Which
hope will never o,cur) the absolute and
exclusive dominion Of Pearl harbor for
the purpose named in tie article l have
mentioned.
"Whether he United States will be
guilty of mora. wrong in imposing
duties on Hawaiian sugar. etc, before the
expiration of the convention on the proper
notice of l2 months after next November,
is quite different matter, and to which,
of course, there can he only one answer.
But that now and hereafter, whatever
else may happen, the Unit,d States are
the lawful masters of the key of the
Pacific is a fact which all Iations inter
ested should perfectly understand, for
Pearl river harbor in the possession of
our government for the purposes named
gives us the mastery"
docs the remission Of duies on sugars
from other countries in aIy way invali-
date the Hawaiian treaty" was asked.
"No; il does not; at least Hawaii has no
right TO complain of anything, either in
imposing or taking off dIties on the
products of other countries.