The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-14


English, German and American dip
lomats, who are ostensibly trying to
agree upon a form of government
which will be satisfactory to all par
ties concerned, that is England, Ger
many, the United States and the Sa-
moans, with their two kings. Be
sides these movements, / need only
refer to the activity which has pre-
vailed among European governments
in seeking TO obtain foothOIds in the
newly explored part of Africa, as
bases for commercial and perhaps
colonial extension, and to the great
cheerfulness with which Italy en-
barked in the uncertain chances of
Egyptian interference, and the French
acquisition of Tunis. to complete the
showing that Mr.. Woolsey's conclu-
siOns of eleven years ago are already
or will soon become inapplicable.
The fact alone of the German, Eng
lish and Spanish understanding,
which / think may be called treaty
for the purpose of this paper, taken
with the movements leading up to it,
as above set forth, is a strong testi-
mony that the principle of the bal
ance of power has already been eX-
tended from Europe to the Pacific
Ocean, and that q new departure in
European politics has taken place.
The enthusiasm of discovery of
century ago is being followed by an
enthusiasm of requirement. The
world now being all discovered and
defined on the charts, does not seem
so extensive as it did then, when men
were ignorant of its limits and re-
sources and Imagination had full
sway. The great powers of Conti-
mental Europe, who would keep up
with England's fast growing empire,
and the rapid development of the
national strength OF the United States
of America, must acquire navies, de-
velop their foreign trade and obtain
territory for expansion; these objects
can only be satisfactorily attained by
acquiring foothold in the islands of
the sea, in the continents of Asia and
Africa-anywhere, in short, where
the existing rights are those of tribes
and clans without diplomatic rela-
tIons.
This is being done, as we have seen,
and with all the more haste, undOubt
edly, from the comparatively limited
extent of this kind of territory re-
manning unclaimed; the Pacific ocean
has been staked off upon very defin-
ite understanding between three
powers Central Africa is in the hands
of the diplomats, England and Russia
are steadily extending their domin-
ion in Asia upon private issue of
balance of power between each other.
Might makes right and self defense is
natures first law; the conclusion is
irresistible to me that the European
powers have already come to regard
the whole world outside of America
and each others colonial possessions
as legitimate field of conquest, and
that the greater part of the division
they can obtain, the better it will be
for them in the really serious future
when the whole world being fully Oc-
cupied the aggrandized governments
begin, of very necessity, to encroach
upon each other in real struggle for
existence and final supremacy.
1t does not appear that even diplo-
matte recognition will be any protec-
ton to the dark races in this move
ment; the nations that are weak will
be absorbed because they are weak
and because of the probability that if
one power does not acquire a more or
less exclusive control over them
another will, and possession, in inter
national Jurisprudence, is "nine
points of the law" more truly than is
the case in private litigation. This is
likely to be the case with China,
in population is one of the really
weak governments. Only the develop
ment of national strength in the civ
iliZed sense, will remove any of
the eastern nations from the list
of those which are to be regarded
as the legitimate objects of con-
quest by the European powers. Japan
is the only government that seems
likely to fulfil this requirement, and
she is progressing in this direction by
radically reforming her political, mil
itary, educational and social systems,
after the example of the civilized
nations. She must become q great
power herself in order to be let alone.
I alluded above to the fact that Am
erica is not included in the field of
European diplomatic influence in re-
lation to the right of interference; the
influence of America, and particularly
of the United States, is an element OF
in the study of the SUBJ
ject of this paper. The calculations
given above have been made without
reference ia American influence, and
leaving that ont are, think, logical
conclusions from the given premises.
But we must consider American in
politics Will be modified by it in the
future.
America is a land of republics.
governments containing
features of absolutisni to a greater or
less extent have characterized Europe
in. the past, Balance of power princi-
pies have no annals. in America, the
right of interference is not recognized,
except to prevent Europe from inter
fering with America. Is. it that
Of rep1blicsfs uncongenial
soil for the growthSof the principle of
Is it not a fact that
governments are not
likely to engage. in wars Of conqest?
By the dogma of European politics
the peace of America is:tHreatened by
the preponderating strength of the
United States; but this is not the fact.
What then is to be the tendency
of American influence? In the first
place, the spread of: representative
features of government. in Europe
will gradually weaken the balance of
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