Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-09

plumbers ana SnoemakerS. "A great ma.
jority Of the retail stores are in their hands
Many Of them are wholesale dealers and i'm
porters. Japanese merchants are very large
| ly importing dry goods and clothing Of jap
anese Manufactures; also canned goods put
up in Japan. With these they undersell
American and European importations.
Against this competition the thirteenth ar
declaring that "our merchants are being
rapidly superseded by an element having
nothing In common with the principles ly-
ing at the foundation Of our institutions"
Little Hawaii Is In a transition state as
| to Its population. Is it's future population
| to be Anglo-American, or is 1t to become
mainly Asiatic? Our institutions are Amer
lean. Our leaders of thought and action are
the same. We have made our government
American. Yet under the pressing deme nd
| for cheap labor on the plantations many
thousands of ignorant Asiatic peasants are
annually imported. Others follow at their
| own cost Hong Kong and Yokohama gre
within twelve days steaming. Steerage
passage Is only $25. Hawaii Is In much
danger of becoming overwhelmed by the
surplus population Of these Asiaic empires
These people can labor more hours and SUBJ
sist on less cost than people of European
| origin can possibly do. If unobstructed, IL
we have no protection from their numbers,
| they can crowd the white man out of the
country. Christian civilization has been
planted here, and has made magnificent
| growth. Every American who comes to
lean soil. Is this to give place to the squal-
| i'd standardization of Asia? Is all Honolulu
| to become gradually absorbed and overrun
by the noisomeness Of Chinatown west Of
Nunann street? Every aspiration Of patri-
otism among Americans In Hawaii cries
out against 1t.
These anti-Asiatic planks in our platform
appeal In the strongest.manner to the white
civilization Of this country. They will re-
ceive the most earnest public support from
all classes Of whites. except, perhaps, few
of the planters, whose sentiment Of ac-
quisitiveness may be in excess Of their pub
lie spirit and patriotism. This fear Of
Asiatic occupa ton forms one Of the strong
est elements In our anxiety to hasten our
union to the United States. Annexation
will settle the question, and finally deter
mine our destiny as belonging to Anglo
American civilization, and not to Asiatic
barbarism.
England and the Cable Projects.
The fourteenth plank of the platform. on
cable communication. has grown out Of GER
tain developments Of the last ten days. 1t
is entirely In accord with the settled policy
Of this government. They are determined
to grant mo exclusive franchise" and to
make mo contract which does not meet
with the unqualified approval Of the United
States"
We have been favored with q visit from
the Hon. Sanford Fleming. as commits
sioner from the Canadian government and
eminent. Mr.. Fleming is a distinguished
engineer. He is the originator Of the ST.
multaneous hour system Of railway time.
These gentlemen have been endeavoring to
secure from this republic certain conces-
sions for the Canada-Australian cable This
government consider themselves by our
treaty with the United States, absolutely
debarred from making such concessions
without It's full approval to any other
power. They are anxious to secure as early
as possible cable connection with the rest
Of the world. This British cable presents
the immediate opportunity, and is to be
made the most Of We are willing to con-
tribute an annual subsidy Of, say, $4,000
toward the enterprise. But for treaty OBJ
legation to the United States, We would be
glad to surrender TO them one Of our desc
late islets lying to the westward, of which
Messrs Fleming and Mercer ask the con-
cession. Neckar Island Is the one hitherto
had in view. 1t is 400 miles distant. Since
they have been here their attention has
vorable for their purpose. This island Is
only $50 miles w. N. w. from Honolulu.
On the 18th the commissioners went with
H. b. NJ. 8. Hyacinth to examine Bird
Island and take soundings around 1t.
A cable station on either Neckar or Bird
islands would require to be occupied by
about dozen men. They would be en-
tirely dependent on supplies from abroad.
probably even for water. 1 have been on
Bird Island. 1t was well known to the
Hawaiians by the name OF Ni-ho-a. Old
stone four cations Of native huts are still
visible Landing from boats Is easy, ex-
| cept in rough We ither. A cliff Of fifteen to
| thirty feet has to be climbed from the rocks
| on the shore The upland Is very steep and
| all sizes. Much low vegetation grows on
| the rank guano soil. The only spring In
close to the sea, and bitter with guano.
Possibly rain water might be secured from
of the roof at the beginning of each
shower. The commissioners seem to feel a
necessity for exclusive and undisturbed co.
cupation Of some locality, even II 1t be one
somewhat difficult. Gable connection would
be made with Honolulu.
Consent of This Country.
The Hyacinth returned from Bird Island
on the 10th. after an absence Of three
days. A number Of soundings were taken.
extending three miles from shore, and prov
ing the ocean in the vicinity to be of mod
crate depth. The commissioners. with the
British minister, landed and examined the
ground. 1t was decided that the proper
locality for landing the cable, If taken
| there. would be at sand beach near the
southwest angle of the island. At this or
any other such island the water supply
must be distilled from sea water.
Yesterday, the 18th. the commissioners
held their final interview with the cabinet.
The substance Of their propositions was
that the Hawaiian government should
grant the British government a permanent
lease or one OF the un1nhabited Islands to
the westward, for the purpose of a cable
station, either Bird Island, Neckar Island
or French Frigate shoal. The last Is a
low islet and reef, some COO miles from
Honolulu. 1t will be guaranteed not to
fortify, or to create a naval station. A
branch cable Is to be extended to Homo
lulu. They ask this government to grant
an annual subsidy Of S35, 600, as their con-
tribution to the expense of maintenance.
Five hundred thousand dollars are to be
contributed annually by the various British
colonies interested. Low rates are guar
anteed, not over % cents a word to the
American coast, much less for government
dispatches, and press rates still lower.
No exclusive franchise or concession of
any sort Is asked for beyond the lease of
the ground. 1t does seem somewhat strange
that England should prefer to maintain an
inconvenent station upon a desolate island
instead of taking q comfortable situation
at this commercial center. The desire is to
be secure from possible disturbance"
whatever that means. 1t looks something
like the Britishers habit Of building
high wall around his home premises.
The reply of the government made to
the propositions of the commissioners was
that they would ask the consent of the
United States government to make the
proposed lease BY our treaty of reciproc-
ity we are absolutely bound not to lease
or grant any lien whatever upon any por-
| ton Of our territory to any other foreign