Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1895-04-25
Official Paper Of the City Of Aberdeen.
GREATNESS OF THE PACIFIC

its islands, and the empires bordering on
the opposite shores, the following editor.
ial from the New York Sun is OF particu-
lar interest not only to the people Of the
harbor but to all who contemplate COM
ing to the Pacific Northwest.
''In the year 1852 William ii. Seward,
from his place in the senate, made this
remarkable prophecy touching the for
eign relations OF the United States:
"lIeneforth European commerce. Eu-
ropean politics, European thought, and
European activity. although actually
gaining force, and European connections,
although actually becoming more init
mate, will nevertheless relatively sink
in Importance while the Pacific ocean,
its shores, its islands, and the vast
region beyond, will become the chief
theatre Of events in the worlds great
hereafter.
"The boldness of this prediction may be
appreciated better on recalling what the
Pacific shores and regions then were.
commerce, its railway systems, its tele-
graphs, and its productions, and how its
enormous activities were supplemented
on this side of the Atlantic, We all know.
But in 1850 there was in this country not
single telegraph line west OF the Mis-
sissippi, nor more than eighty miles Of
railroad not until 1867 was there regular
steamship service between San Francisco
and Asia. California had, indeed, just
been added to our Union in 1852, but it
was like q collection of mining camps
with coast emporiums, and had a popula-
ton OF 10000. Between it and Missouri
stretched wilderness. China had but
recently been forced to open few ports,
and Japan was still a 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
scoie years have prompted Mr.. l.. A.
Thurston, who, as minister from Hawaii,
has recently fallen under the disfavor 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 looming 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 100000 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 $685. and, according to Mr.. Thurston,
stands third in the list OF railroad owner.
ship, proportional 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
decreased 10 in number and 1875 900 in
tonnage, those Of the Pacific coast in.
creased 400 in number and 12l 900 in
tonnage.
1.-The wonders OF Japan's progress are
now before all eyes. That country, which
had no railroads in 1870 and but seventy
five miles in 1850, possessed $50 miles
in the year 1898, and carried 25,790O0O
passengers; it had no telegraph in 1870,
and 5000 miles OF them in 1898; while
in the latter year its exports and imports
aggregated SIP, 200, 900, China, that same
year, had $422 600, 900 OF exports and inn
ports in seventeen out OF the twenty ports
open to foreign trade, and her develop
ment has only begun. Siberia contains
Il million square miles more than all
Europe, and its southern border is in the
latitude OF Cape Cod and Chicago. 1t
already produces one sixth Of the worlds
output OF gold, and, with its railroad to
st. Petersburg completed, must have a
great development. Eastern Siberia is
land OF vast resources.
"And what OF the islands OF the Pacific :?
England, Germany, France and Spain
have seized most OF them, but the
Hawaiian group is thus far preserved
from European clutches. Manila alone
has foreign trade of $45, OO0, 900 year !;
Hawaii has reached $l6,000,000, and
Honolulu enjoys the distinction "of hav-
ing entered more ships flying the Ameri-
can flag than were entered at any other
foreign port in the world during 1898. ;"
Alaska is an American Siberia, of vast
resources in minerals, lumber, and fish
cries yet to be developed.
"With the Nicaragua canal and the
t:ans-Siberian railway completed, and
with railways on the Pacific slope stretch
ing from Alaska to Chilli, Mr.. Thurston
foresees 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
lulu the centre OF cable system radat-
ing to Tahiti, Australia, Japan, Van
couver and san Francisco.
"Let us hope that our own country will