The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-10
Mr.. FOSTER TALKS
Visited Hawaii Only on a Pleasure
Trip.
TALKS ABOUT ANNEXATION
New President for SamaO
is Appointed.
Dynamite for GeneraIWeyIer-C
Mahan Retires-TWO Stage
FaVOriteS Dead.

Ex-Secretary John W. Foster, who
went TO Hawaii several weeks ago, re-
turned yesterday on the steamer City of
Picking, says the Call Of November p.
II was believed when he left San Fran
cisco that he was probably going on some
diplomatic mission and might extend his
trip to Japan. The ex-Secretary, how
ever, denies this. He said:
II went down to Honolulu purely for
pleasure and recreation, and my trip
had no business significance. Mrs. Foster
and I both needed a change, and that
was our reason for going.
However Mr. H. Il. Spalding, who has
the cable concession from Hawaii, learn
ing that 1 going down there any
way, besought me while in the East 10
do my best to get the Hawaiian Govern
ment to extend the time for building the
cable.
''It was for this reason that consented
to do what / could for him. But when
the matter came up the officials of the
Government thought it would be wise
on their part not to do anything now.
They thought Hawaii was sure eventual
ly to get a cable
Japan is expected to build this way,
and it is believed that country will GER
tainIy build to Honolulu while the spirit
of enterprise is upon the Japanese.
The Hawaiian officials and the people
are extremely anxious to have the ISL
ands annexed to the United States L
have doubt that after the Inaugural
ton of Mr.. Mckinley they will try
hard to have the country annexed.
THE Islands are quite prosperous, as
there has been a big sugar crop, and
with the good prices for sugar a large
amount of money has been distributed.
There was great interest in the cleo
ton. The victory of Major Mckinley
was not known there until two weeks
after the election
Mr. Foster is looking well since his
visit TO the tropical Islands. He says the
trip did him a great deal of good. The
rafa Il TrG laft or
Washington last evening
Foster has words of commentator for
the Government of Hawaii. He says:
THE present administration, although
without the sympathy of many of the
natives and some of the foreign merch-
ants. is conceded to be the best govern
ment the Islands have ever had, and it
seems well established and generally ac-
quiesced in. Although Commissioner
Blount in 1893 predicted its overthrow
within year, ii is approaching the end
of the fourth year of it's existence under
most favorable auspices. Tits program
and the constitution under which it is
acting declare unequivocally for annex
alton to the United States, and it will
doubtless press the subject anew upon
the incoming administration at Washing
while there is a diversity of sentiment
on the Islands on the question of annex
alton, there is general feeling that the
Government of the United States should
give a decisive answer respecting it. The
existing uncertainty as to the future IS
disturbing business and creating state
of great uneaSiness in the community.
The ex-Queen keeps herself in seclusion,
and but few of her old supporters expect
ever to see her rStoratiOn. If the Islands
are not annexed to the United States, the
belief prevails that they will fall under
the dominion of some other power The
mutual distrust engendered by the events
of the last few years viii make 1T diff
ficult for any party to successfully carry
on an independent government, and the
growing political and commercial import
ance of the Pacific in the worlds affairs
would soon bring about compiled tons
with some one or more of the nations
now actively competing in that part of
the globe"