Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-04
AS TO A PROUD BOAST
Concerning the Setting Sun and Our
Glorious Flag. 9.
4 Geography Lesson-Fiehi Over Lille i.land
in Pas.amsquoddy Bay.

WASHINGTON. Jan. g. Especial. -
This afternoon a member OF congress in the
course of some remarks on the Hawaiian
question delivered himself in he following
Strain: 1T is the proud boast Of Great Brit
ain that the sun never sets upon her flag
This is not the case with the United States
at the present time But anne, to us the
Hawaiian Islands, and il will be true With
those islands rs part of the United States
territory, the sun wiz never set upon ou:
flag" When the statesman made this
statement, he thought he was stating a
great truth, and many of the men who lis,
tened to it We're so impressed that they
broke forth in applause. But simple
statement of the geographical facts will
show how sadly off the orator was in his
assertions.
A Broad Empire.
The Hawaiian Islands stand as far west
as the one hundred and fifty-eighth degree
of longitude west from Greenwich. Our
eastern border is ut the line between Maine
and the Canadian possessions, or about the
sixty-fifth meridian OF west longitude. In
order to have an empire upon which the sun
should not set, it would be necessary to have
a dominion covering at least $50 degrees OF
the earth's surface, or one-half the way
round. If we were to annex Hawaii and
were to follow this up by taking in Ireland,
it would then be true that we should have
an empire on which the sun would not set.
1t is not generally known that the Ha-
waiian Islands are nearer San Francisco
than paii of our own possessonsin Alaska.
1t is fully twice as far from San Francisco
II e.
San Francisco to Honolulu. Again, the ter
ritory of the United States already extends
tar to the westward of Honolulu, so that
the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands
would not help us a bit along the road TO
empire i'll which the sun never sets.
Our Northern Possessions.
Our possessions in the Alaskan waters;
already run as far west as the one hundred
and seventy-secOnd meridian Of longitude
east of Greenwich, whereas the Hawaiian Is,
lands extend only to the one hundred and
fifty-eighth degree of west longitude The
indisputable fact therefore is that the ter
ritory of the United States now runs ! ,20J
miles farther to the west than would be the
case after the annexation of Hawaii Ii is /.
fact not known to most people that tne
Aleutian islands, a part of our Alaskan )ur-
chase extend very nearly to the line of ia
pans eastern coast, and fully us far as the
eastern shore of New Zealand Thus, so
far as longitude is concerned, the Austria
lasian and American world is joined. =:
The United States is having a rather Wig
orous dispute with Great Britain concern
ing the possession of IA little island in Pas
samaquoddy bay. The island contains but
few acres and is a mere rocky protrusion
from the bottom of the sea. 1t is without
soil or value, whether from an agricultural
or any other point of view. BY rights it be-
longs to the United States. This is shown
by the original surveys and by all the cvi-
dence which has been brought forward.
The United States officer who has charge
OF the matter says the island is not worth
the price Of postage stamp, and thai II
England had not, without exception, been
SO piggish and grasping whenever Il ques-
ton of territory has been raised he would
now be disposed to say: Take this lutte
bit of rock and do what you please with it.
We care not for it, But, under the circum-
stances, he says he is going to fight for the
piece of rock as if it were 4 continent. If
the English get it away from us, they will
have to prove an exceedingly clear title.
~,
ne ohicSie ~ Jul na' anu a't''e We
partiheh'7 nave no. very hiSh CONCEPTION
OF hhS'ahu l,e'hous "' oes': ~ ID IL 'fa-
ditloh Oh .l'e uepaf,,ne,i'S vi our govern
meht IhaC aii WE Ens'i leeu Is u iu"o-
ing, and that they will take care that their
frontiers are extended, whether the orig-
nal owners of the country like it ornot. The
usuai EhSiisii methoo IN s'lch Gusts Is 10
sem, soiiie se''.eis y. ",'9'o.'ai VI II, "a
soon as they SEM III Reports OIL iiaNihi' o|en