Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-15
THE HAWAIIAN INVESTIGATION
No Witnesses Appeared Before the Senate
Committee Today.
What the Naval Omcers Who Have
Impress Upon the Committee.

The Senate committee investigating Ha-
waiian affairs met this morning, and for
the first time since they began work, there
was no witness to testify. 1t was thought
that Lieutenant Commander Swinburne
would be present, but owing to illness he
was again compelled to remain away. The
committee put in much Of the morning in
conference over the testimony SO far ad-
duced, and in a discussion of the latest
message of the President, which contained
the real news Of the situation, the report Of
Mr.. Willis as to what he learned after he
reached Honolulu, and the last instructions
sent him. The President having peremptor-
lily stopped Mr.. Willis in the matter of
further negotiations, the committee feels
that there is little need Of undue haste, and
may from this time on take more time. ana
not meet quite 30 frequently.
Broad Scope Of the Inquiry.
The appearance before the committee Sat
urday Of a naval officer whose testimony
bore upon events Of twenty years ago and
the general subject of the importance Of the
islands from a commercial and naval stand
point indicates that the committee will, be-
fore 1t finishes its task, make its investiga-
ton about as broad as any person couldwish.
Ii is understood that all these naval officers
have told the committee Of the Importance
of these islands from a naval standpoint.
and the fact that the treaty with Hawaii
under which Pearl harbor was ceded to the
United States for q term of years will soon
expire lends an additional Importance to
this character of evidence.
these naval officers are all Of the opinion
that unless the United States Is possessed
of some solid and permanent foothold in the
Pacific, the government would be greatly
~Hf Iad In nR t. xl.I-
demonstration in the Pacific was necessary
The kind of a station needed, they all said,
was one that could be guarded and pro-
tected by our own forces and under the abb
perience Of naval officers who have served
in Hawaiian waters leads them to believe
that the foreign element there il endeayo
ing to defeat an extension of the treaty
after 1t shall have expired, which will be in
less than two years.
Importance of Acting Now.
Acting upon the assumption that this con-
dition Of affairs may come to pass, these
officers have endeavored to show the great
importance Of acting now In a way that
will frustrate such calamity in the future.
These officers have also called the attention
Of the committee to the need of active work
being done in the matter Of establishing the
Pearl river coaling station and completing
the work that has long since needed to be
done there. Without exception these men
are favorable to prompt action to increase
the power OF the United States in and about
the Hawaiian Islands. 1t is understood that.
without exception, these officers are favor
able to the annexation proposition and have
endeavored to make the committee see the
situ3tion in the same light 80
A humber OF the witnesses who preyiouslv
testlned were before the committee this
morning for the purpose Of reading the
notes OF their testimony and subscribing
70 the evidence. The committee will meet
again tomorrow.