The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-29

forced to open few ports, and Japan
was still sealed mystery The Pacific
Islands were left mostly to savages and
adventurous missionaries, or were calling
stations for whalers and traders.
The extraordinary changes that have
occurred in this scene during the last
two score years have prompted Mr.. l..
A. Thurston, who, as minister from Ha-
wall, has recently fallen under the dis
favor of Messrs. Cleveland and Gresham,
to some timely observations in the pages
Of the North American Review. Even
more than statesmen like Webster,
Marcy and Seward saw loooming in the
distance Is now at hand. Japan is in the
march with modern nations: Australia Is
the commercial wonder Of the nineteenth
century" Alaska is United States terri
tory, while Hawaii, then known mostly
as the place where Captain Cook was
killed, is republic, preparing herself
to enter our union.
The population of the United States
west of the Rocky mountains is today
over 2,5OO,OOO or nearly that of the thir>
teen colonies when the declaration was
signed. The lumber the grain and the
fruit of the Pacific states go all over the
world. California alone mined one-third
of the gold product of the United States
in 1893, and, according to Mr.. Thurston,
stands third in the list Of railroad owner
ship, proportioned to the population,
while Rhode Island Massachusetts, and
New York stand FIRST second and fourth.
In the ten years ending In 1894, while the
ships of the Atlantic and Gulf states de-
creased 10 In number and $4,000 in ton
mage, those of the Pacific coast increased
499 in number and 19l, 900 in tonnage
Mexico and Central and South America
show some progress in the period re-
viewed, but with the coming growth OF
the Pacific will doubtless show much
more. British Columbia, the terminus of
a continental railway. has developed from
obseurity to commercial Importance and
takes pride in four lines Of transpacifc
steamers, and total of 2i6 vessels regis
tered for foreign trade. Australia, first
settled by white men in 1888, had
population of S,7S4,OOO In 1890 and for
elgn commerce of 42,5OO,OOO Its annual
wool clip exceeding $1OO,OOO,OOO and an an
nual coal production Of nearly 1900, 900
tons; it produced $S5OOO,OOO of gold in
1893, or nearly one-fourth Of the worlds
productin. It's live stock alone is valued
at about $3.50 200, 900, and In 1898 1t entered
and cleared nearly 100000 tons of Ship
ping from foreign ports.
The wonders of Japan's progress are
now before all eyes. That country,
which had no railroads in 1870 and but |
70 miles in $780, possessed 1,75Q miles in
the year 1893 and carried q, 100000 passen>
gers; 1t had no telegraphs in 1870, and
5000 miles of them in 1893; while in the
latter year its exports and imports ag-
$1120OC,0O China that same |
year had $422, 900 of exports and Inn
ports in seventeen out of the twenty ports
open to freign trade, and her modern de-
velopment has only begun Siberia con-
tains a million square miles more than
all Europe and its southern border is in
the latitude of Cape Cod and Chicago. |
1t already produces one-slxth of the
worlds output of gold, and, with its rail-
road to st, Petersburg completed, must
have a great development. Eastern ST.
IBERIA is a land of vast resources,
And what of the islands Of the Pacific?
England, Germany, France and Spain
have seized most of them, but the Ha-
waiian group is thus far preserved from
European clutches. Manila alone has
a foreign trade of $15,OOO,OOO year; Ha-
wall has reached $16,OOO,OOO and Honolulu
enjoys the distinction "of having entered
more ships flying the American flag than
were entered at any other foreign port
in the world during 1S93." Alaska is an
American siberiaN of vast resources in
lumber and fisheries yet to be
developed.
Mr.. nhurston points out the part that
and telegraph subsidies are
playing in the development of the Pa
cifc. In 1898 Australia paid $S5O,0O0 as
subsidies and guarantees to ocean cable
and up to that year she had
paid $2,995,OOO to the cable between Aus
tralia and India. For steamship and
cable communication in or to the Pa
cifc," mostly steamship, paid by the
British and colonial governments, Mr..
reckons up an aggregate of
over $S,75O,OOO In aid Of the Canadian
Pacific company's project to establish a
ine Of 2O-knot IL, ,OO0-ton steamers In order
TO reduce to twenty-six days the time be-
tween London and Australia, via Mon
treal in summer and Halifax in winter,
Canada has offered an increase OF
s75OOOO year on her existing subsidy,
and New England $4,000
With the Nicaragua canal and the trans
Siberia rlilroad completed, and with
on the Pacific slope stretch
ng from Alaska to Chile, Mr.. Thurston
Horsees an enormous growth for Pacific
commerce ten or fifteen years hence.
Steamers like those of the Atlantic will
ply between the main ports with Homo
ulu the center of a cable system radiad-
ng to Tahiti, Australia, Japan, Vancou-
yer and San Francisco.
Let us hope that our own country will
not be checked or barred by any blum
lds or ignorance OF craftsmanship from
laving its full share Of this giant
growth, or from occupying the proper
grounds for Its protection and
control.
Between Astoria and Portland