The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-18

WASHINGTON Cd. c., March o.
Senator White left Washington for
California at 10 o'clock tonight. Be-
fore his departure he outlined to the
Examiner correspondent his views on
the Hawaiian cable.
"While I have always been opposed
TO the annexation of Hawaii, ;" he said,
S'principally because of the undesira-
BILE population of those islands, re-
cognize the necessity Of some speedy
and convenient communication with
that portion of the world. 1t may
often happen that our war vessels, and
merchantmen as well, will feel the
necessity of speedy communication.
The-Hawaiian Islands are located at "a
convenient point almost in mid-oceahj !
and a saving of 1000 miles, which dis
tance would be cancelled in the event
the cable is laid, is a most important
matter, think, to us. Besides,
look for an extension to Asia, and if
such an enterprise were accomplished
we could undoubtedly make arrange
ments with the British Government,
which controls telegraphic commune
cation from Nagasaki through the
Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez
Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, and
also with the Russian Governments 8
line from st. Petersburg to Vladivos-
took This would give us through COM
munication with Asiatic and Euro
pean centers. I think the advocates
of the cable made a mistake in con-
Meeting it with the annexation
| project. Because of this circumstance
much opposition was engendered /
advocated the construction of a cable,
and twice urged insistence by the
Senate confereeS upon the amendment
providing for construction but when
l ascertained that the House, after
considering the matter three times,
stood without change in opposition
there being a majority OF from S6 to
SO votes against the project-I recog-
nized that it would not do to maintain
my personal view. My action might
have been different had it not been
that the cable proposition was in
serted in a bill providing for the sup
port of the consular and diplomatic
service. Hence 1 was forced to choose
between the defeat Of the entire mea-
sure and the enactment of q competent
appropriation bill covering consular
and diplomatic matters, but excluding
cable construction. did not hesitate
to accept the bill as it came from the
House rather than to Precipitate
financial crisis a. far as our diplomatic
| representatives are concerned. think
that the cable will be constructed by
| this Government. I believe that the
next Congress will pass a bill similar
| to the Senate amendment. There Is
| no danger Of the interference OF the
British Government, because there
can be 10 cessiOn of Neckar islard,
and no grunting OF any right of pro-
perty therein without the concurrence
OF the Unit d States. do not believe
that any act of Cong ress j. necessary,
but l think the EXecutiNn and the
Seuate must concur in modifying eX-
isting treaty sripulatiOmS bef"re Great
Britain can land upon any s"tl over
which the Hawaiian Government has
| jurisdictiC H."
WASHINGTON, ID C., March 3 -
During the debate on the Hawaiian
| cable amendment in the Senate Mr..
Blackburn said the most strenuous
| effort had been made for many days to
retain this appropriation. He said the
struggle could be continued no longer.
If the bill was to be engrossed and
sent to the Executive it must be
| passed tonight. Rather than clog the