The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-14

prority treaty In November. !ss1d The
present Hawaiian government has
been shasnefnlly abused and tradneed by
President Cleveland ard his atninistra-
ton; nevertheless /. l. qalts likely that
the reciprocity treaty wito its cession OF
Pearl River hzgbor viii be renewed IN is3f.
There are two solutions 80 this Hawaiian
question. One is the enforcement: OF
oEr traditional policy Of noninte.fer-
enee. which has steadily been maintained
since the days Of Daniel Webster and
President Tyler in is43 down 20 those OF
President Harrison and Secretary Fos-
ter In fsgg; the other is The establish
ment CO an American protectorate
over ths Islands, which proposition
II TO 10 brought before congress by
Democratic Congressman Holman. OF
Indiana. Such q protectorats probably
would continue the native government.
With the American minister exercising the
power Of an English resident" or minis
ter &C q native court IN India, foreign re-
lstions and broad questions OF policy
being decided by the minister, while the
Hawaiian native government and minis
try carry on the ordinary routine of sd
rninistration. An American protectorate
Of this sort would give Hawaii home rule
in domestic Administration would assure
full protection TO the property and indus
trial interests of foreign residents and
would avoid the assumption on our part
of debt of some So 100. 900 and the gov
eminent OF some 5000 Kanakas and
5000 Chinese and japanese contract
laborers. England once governed the
Cephaionian islands, off the west coast
Of Greece, By protectorafe. and En-
gland by the permission and approval
Of Europe governs Egypt By aprotectorste.
England does no, seek TO annex Egypt
because she can protect all her English
interests without annexation. She wants
to protect her interests in the snez canal
route TO India. and she desires to protect
English investments in Egypt. She does
not seek to annex Egypt, because she can
control Egypt without annexation and its
dangerous responsibilities. An American
protectorate would assure To rs all that is
necessary 10 continue that supremacy of
control on the islands that We have main
tanned for fifty years. and which today has
the tacit approval of all the powers of
Europe that have any near or remote in
terests in the fate of the islands. We as
serted this right of supreme interest 10
England In 1913; to France in 1si8-Is5i !;
TO England again in Is3i, when Hawaii
gave US Pearl River harbor, and in all three
instances our claim was not seriously dis
pnted or resisted.
Europe. especially Great Britain. France
and Germany, could not with any show
of reason object to an American pro-
tectorate over the Hawaiian islands, for
these great powers since 1884 have an
nexed about all the territory that is worth
having in the islands of the Pacific.
In 1854 Germany seized the northern
side Of New Guinea, while Great Britain
occupied the southern side. as well as the
Louisiade group. Woodlark, Long and
Rock islands. In 1856 Spain obtained the
Caroline and Pelew group of islands. In
lss0 France seized the New Hebrides. and
the same year Germany took possession Of
New Ireland. New Britain. the Solomon
group, the Marshall, Brown and Provi-
denee islands. while England occupied
the Kermsdec islands. In 1874 Great
Britain annexed the Fiji islands and last
year annexed the Gilbert islands and the
Eilice group.
III the people OF the Sandwich islands,
meaning by that the civilized governing
forces that have always ruled the islands
for the last fifty years, desire annexation
to the United States or an American pro-
tectorate the powers of Europe could not
fairly interfere and would not. There are
valid objections 20 annexation: there
would seem to DO no serious objections to
an American protectorate.