Evening star., 1895-01-15
No Likelihood of the Presidents
Recommendation Being Approved.
STATE DEPARTMENT. ASSUMPTION
Views of a Member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
GREAT BRITAIN'S OBJECT

There is no probability that the recon-
mendation of President Cleveland that the
United States shall agree that the British
government may build a cable from Van
couver to an island Of the Hawaiian group,
will be favorably considered by either
branch Of Congress. 1t is discovered that
this message has done more to arouse op-
position to this British project than any
| thing that has as yet occurred. The Pres
idents message has greatly strengthened
the movement for a cable to Hawaii which
shall be under the auspices of the United
States government. Several members OF
Congress have now in preparation bill
designed to authorize the laying of a cable
under the patronage Of the United States.
Assumption ut the State Department.
| Inquiry at the State Department shows
that opposition whatever had been eX
| pected by the President or Secretary of
State to the recommendation of the Pres
ident that this permission should be granted
| to Great Britain. 1t was assumed by the
| President and Secretary Gresham that
| there would be NO desire on the part OF
| Congress to refuse to surrender the rights
| winch have been granted to the United
| States under the ancient treaty with Ha-
wall; that, IN fact, desire for CONNER
| cial cable would control the action OF the
| Congress. TINS assumption is another il
| lustrauon of the TACT that the President
| and Secretary Gresham have been unable
to rightly apprehend the sentiment of Con-
| gress or OF the American people, on this
| hawaiian question.
| No Favorable Action in Congress.
| There are three members Of the Senate
committee on foreign affairs. of different
parties. now earnestly studying the situa
| ton. One of them said today:
| 1T is more possible that the recon-
mendation Of the President as to the Brit
;..l, ,l~1.
| Congress than it is for any other impos-
sihle thing to happen. The request, on be-
| half of Great Britain, Is made on CONNER
! cIaI grounds. 1t seems to be assumed by
| the PRESIDENT that, II this cable should be
| lald, it would be available for the use of
| the United States government, and for citi-
| zens of the United States under all Cir
CumstanceS. IhiS assumption is based
| upon gross ignorance OF the situation, of the
| geography or the island, and or the pOlcy
| of Great Britain. The British government
| makes this request in order that 1t may
| secure a military cable in the Pacific ocean,
| as it has one in the Atlantic ocean, and
almost everywhere else. If this cable should
| be landed in Hawaii with the consent of
| the United States, it would be found that
| il an emergency should arise, the United
| States could not send single order for
| movement of any of it's warships over it.
| Great Britain's object.
Great Britain seeks with this cable to
| Pacific railway was built as a military
| highway. The line of steamers which con-
meets with that railway at its western
| terminus on the Pacific ocean is another
addition to the military power Of Great
| Britain.
This cable which the British government
| now seeks to lay from Vancouver, the
| western terminus of the Canadian Pacific
| railway, to the Hawaiian group, Is de-
| signed as another military agency of the
| British government. The object Of this
| cable is not for commercial usage only.
| If ii were a cable designed for CONNER
cial uses, why should it not be landed at
| Honolulu, where the commerce of the Ha-
| waiian Islands is, and where it could be
| landed without in any way infringing upon
| this ancient treaty between the United
States and Hawaii, in which case the con-
| sent OF the United States government
| would not be required? Ii the British
| government desires to lay strictly COM
| mercial cable between Vancouver and Hon
| olulu, it would have no difficulty in doing
| that. The Hawaiian republic, undoubtedly,
| would very promptly grant the necessary
| permission; and no request would be neces-
! sary from any foreign power
| A Barren Island.
| "But the island, the cession of which Is
requested, upon which the British gov
| ernnent wishes to have the authority and
the permission Of the United States to
| land this cable, is simply rock In the
ocean. about a quarter of a mile long.
There is no harbor to it.
..It is inaccessible even to small boat eA-
cept in a profound calm. 1t Is rocky
fluff. situated where it is absolutely inap-
| nroacha BILE to commerce. No ship can ever
| go there. 1t would require vast sums OF
| money to prepare harbor which would
| make it possible for ships even Of the light
| est draft to approach this rock 1t is alb
| scIutelv nothing but a rock. If the tele-
| graph cable station should be made there
| it would he of no advantage to the COM
| merce of Honolulu or to the commerce OF
| the world Ships could not land there. A
| special cable must necessarily be laid from
| that point to Honolulu afterWard III order
! to make the cable of any advantage what
| ever But if it is to be military cable,
| subject to the absolute control Of Great
| Britain under all circumstances, it can well
| be understood why the British government
| desires to have that desolate, barren and
| isolated rock under it's control. The object
| is to make the cable military cable, sub
| ordinate to the interests of Great Britain,
| so that it can command the Pacific ocean,
| and also be at the nearest point to the
| western outlet of the Nicaragua canal. if
| that canal shall ever be built. The per-
| mission which is sought for in this mes
| sage of President Cleveland's, can assure
you, will never be granted by the United
| States Congress-"