Evening star., 1896-12-15
The Prospect Of Annexation Con-
tinues to Be Discussed.
ENGLISHMEN DISLIKE TIE IDEA
The Pacific Cable Enterprise Again
Receiving Attention.
ANXIOUS FORELECTION NEWS

| Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
| HONOLULU. November 16 1876
| The opinions of Australian statesmen
4 about Hawaii are Of interest to Americans
as well as Hawaiians. They are instruc-
tive as indicating the attitude Of the Brit
ish mind toward American interests in the
Pacific. Such opinions were quite distinct
ly expressed in a public lecture on Hawaii
delivered in Brisbane, Queensland, Octo-
Der IA. by T. J. Byrnes the attorney gen
| eral of the province Mr. Byrnes had
visited these islands a few months before
He said:
Apart from their scenic beauties their
| general productiveness and their immense
| value to the world of commerce. their
geographical position, which placed them
between us and Canada, and in a direc,
| line with an aggressive eastern power,
gave them an import which under ordinary
| circumstances might readily be overlooked.
| The recent upheaval there and the attf-
| tude assumed by the political parties in
! the states, made 1t more than ever neces-
sary that HaW ali should remain a neutral
| state. and Mr.. Byrnes went SO far as to
predict that ere long the Hawaiian group
| must be the theater of stirring events.
1t does not appear in the report of the
lecture what would be the nature of those
stirring events" Undoubtedly Mr.. Byrnes
was informed by his British friends resid-
| ing here that the Hawaiian republic was
insecure and could not stand and that
monarchy was certain to be restored Al
| though year ago they continued to cher
| ish such hopes, those hopes have by this
| time grown faint and faded. 1t is on such
| restoration Of monarchy in Hawaii that
the British living both sides of the
Pacific build their anxious hopes that Ha-
wall will continue independent-that it
will remain a neutral state" future
| which they so strongly feel to be "neoes-
| sary."
Assuredly it is of almost vital necessity
| to British interests in the Pacific that il
| they cannot themselves possess Hawaii,
which they coyet but despair of, at leas.
| its neutrality should be secured. For Ha-
wall to pass into the hands of another
power would alarmingly block Englands
growing supremacy in the commerce OF
| the Pacific. Let Hawaii remain neutral
and England can continue to multiply her
| heavily subsidized steamship lines across
| the Pacific in every direction with Homo
| lulu as the chief crossing point, and
| fill this port with British mercantile
| agencies. rendering 1t practically British
| center of commerce. If Hawaii becomes
| an American possession that prospect Is
at an end. and the rival commercial en-
| pire of the United States will dominate the
| North Pacific as England's commerce Joni
| mates the other oceans.
AnnOys the British.
Even the very limited sort of protectorate
which the United States now actually
| exercising over Hawaii has formed most
| annoying obstacle to the British endeavor
| to create a direct and exclusive line of
| communication across the Pacific by cable
| between the colonies of Canada and Aus
| tralasia. England is determined to have
| the cable connection between her colonies
| absolutely in her own control. For mill
| tary reasons that policy may be wise. AMI
| essential to her interests If She is to con-
| tinue to dominate everywhere. Two years
I a aOn m fri to nj ha 10
| waiian government the cession of Necker
| Island steep barren rock lying 400 miles
| northwest of Honolulu. for exclusive British
use for a cable station, promising to eStab-
| lish branch cable from Necker to Homo
| lulu. AS by treaty required Hawaii had to
| ask permission from Washington to Cede
Necker Island. and it was refused. Mr..
| Clevelands administration being unwilling
| thus to facilitate the exclusive aims of
| England. Now. rather than land her cable
| at Honolulu free from her exclusive con-
| troll, which would be the natural cause
| apart from political reasons. Britain pro-
| poses to make single stretch clear to
her next station at Fannings Island, which
hs shs eEes eazns Ths H HGn0lou make out S5
unprecedented stretch of $500 miles, Great
| ing immense difficulty in maintaining and
| working the cable on SO long a line. But
| even that is deemed preferable to failing
| of exclusive control over such an import
| ant line of communication.
| England's chain Of naval stations be-
| tween her Australian and Canadian pos
sessions on the Pacific-between Sydney
and Victoria, B. C.-ccnsists of three great
| links. New Zealand. the Fiji group and the
| flaming group, which lies 800 miles due
| south of Hawaii. Hawaii would form the
| fourth link, nobly completing the chain, if
England could only be allowed to possess
| 1t. with its magnificent Pearl Harbor, only
miles from rom y,et0a ,Ss would then
would absolutely have girdled the globe
with her naval stations That cannot be.
by reason of American influence over Ha-
wall and she submits to the unavoidable
deprivation. with fairly good grace having
10 hope of displacing the superior claims
of her powerful American cousin. But the
next best thfEg is to promote the neutral
| fty'' of Hawaii. At least let no other power
occupy the coveted group. neither that "ag-
gressive eastern power" Japan, nor the
States with their seething political par
| ties"
Hawairs Destiny.
Hawaii gravitates toward the United
States with portentously attractive force.
Britain feels this, but would postpone as
long as possible that evil day when the
imperial republic of the west shall plan.
her foot on this mfd-grOup of the Pacific.
and thus sway the commerce of this i'm
n ense ocean, with its wealthy and teeming
shores. But the early fulfillment of that
m anifest destiny Of Hawaii Is inevitable.
Monarchy has disappeared. Americans
have here established republic on Amer
wade and possess the group. All is ready
for complete mergence into the Union
Erglishmen must accede to the inevitable
American occupation of Hawaii with such
composure as they may. They will do well
to abandon their much cherished hopes of
reviving the monarchy. which would be SO
British in its leanings. They will especially
be wise to desist from their constant in
flaming of the native mind against annexa-
ton, and from their oftensrepeated demand
that the decision of the question should be
referred to an exclusively native vote. 1t
has been the constant outcry of the anti
American majority of Britishers in .Ha
wall that Americans here are trying to rob
the Hawaiians Of their independence and
their nationality. and that these islands be-
long to the natives by prescriptive and
vested right. so that to decide their destiny
without their consent is sheer piracy.
British colonists in New Zealand did not
consult the wishes of the Maori Inhabitants
about the government and English soyer-
eighty of that country, although the Ma
oris are kin to the Hawaiians and fully
their equals in character and capacity. The
truth is that Polynesians have not the
capacity to judge what is best for them
selves, for whom annexation would be the
best possible guaranty of all their rights
and franchises, and would make them citi-