The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-12
DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS.

is the necessity for Immediate an
nexatiOn OF Hawaii which eX-Sec-
rotary Foster suggests in a recent
Chicago interview. Mr.. Foster is
quoted as follows:
The present Hawaiian admin
istratiOn is waiting for the in
auguratiOn of President McKin-
ley to make another effort to have
the Islands annexed. The cOnsti-
tuition under which the people of
the Islands are living at present
has annexation as one of the main
things to be striven for. The ISL
ands were never in a more pros
porous condition than at present.
They are prospecting in business
way because their last sugar crop
was an exceptionally good one,
and the administration of Presi-
dent Dole is the best that the PEG
pie ever had. 1t is recognized that
the ultimate fate of the Islands,
if they are not annexed by the
United States, is that they will be
annexed by some other of the
great powers. 1t will be impOssi-
bic for the Islanders to govern
themselves successfully for any
great length of time, by reason of
the clash between the different
neutrality-suspicious. and royal
lists and natives and foreigners.
One thing is settled, and that is
that the Queen will never rule
again or the monarchy be restor-
ed. So it remains for the United
States to act without delay, or
some other nation will assume
power in the Hawaiian Islands"
The Bulletin takes the ground
that England and Japan are the
only nations liable to desire a
hand in controlling this country;
that England will do nothing to
menace friendship with the Unit
ed States for obvious reasons,
and that Japan has enough to at
tend to at home, consequently
there is mo occasion for haste"
We may say briefly that there is
more occasion for haste than ever
before. though it may be a fact
that neither England nor Japan
have any immediate designs upon
Hawaii. This is particularly true
of England since the Venezuelan
affair. 1t is, however, manifestly
to the advantage of Japan that
action on the part of the United
States be delayed as long as pos
sible.
In reviewing the history of the
island possessions of the Pacific
we find that the colonist has first
established himself, and as his in
terests have increased the protect
ing arm OF the nation to which he
gives allegiance is placed over the
colony, and finally full possession
is. assumed. In point of numbers,
Japan is quite strong in Hawaii,
but in the vested interests her
citizens today play a very small
but slightly increasing part. Let
Hawaii remain an independent
nation for a period of years and
there can be no doubt that, aided
by we'll subsidized steamship
lines, subsidized industries and
careful guardianship over it's inn
migration, Japan can seriously
strengthen its hold here. Japan
might then reasonably make the
claim that having considerable
money invested here, and a large
population, the Japanese Govern
ment has quite as much right to
assume control as any other.
This statement will likely be
met with the assertion that under
no circumstances would Japan in
cur the displeasure of the United
States. We trust this may always
prove true, but since the inevita-
BILE destiny of Hawaii is admitted.