The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-16
OCTOBER I6.
LOOKING TO THE UNITED STATES.

Hawaii is not the only country look
ing hopefully forward to the renewal
of a strong foreign policy when the
American administration changes next
March. The prospect of a Republican
Senate. to say nothing Of the President,
gives the Samoan Times an opportu-
nifty to predict receiving something
more substantial from the United
States than the country has expert
enced during the past three or four
years. The termination of the Poly
nesian land litigation places the Am
erican company in more substantial
position. and consequently calls for
more attention from the United States
Government.
The Times suggests that now the
people of Samoa may see an American
war ship in their vicinity on tour of
inspection, and further that cit may
be considered expedient for the future
to pay more frequent visits to Sa-
moa than of late years, and revive
public interest in the direction of har-
Dor works in Pagopago, contemplated
long since but dying an ignominious
death from inattention.
Let us hope, says the Samoan con-
temporary, that such a step may be ia
ken in the interest of the United States
navy, being reorganized and largely
increased in INDEPENDENTLY in
cruisers-even if the step originates
from a lingo outcry. The land decision
brings the American interest on
level with the British interests, or
nearly so, a fact that may possibly
have a political influence over our flu
ture, of which we have but little con-
ception at the present time. The fact
is not to be disguised also that from
1890 to the present year of grace Am
erican politicians have left us severely
alone-except once or twice as party
cry to secure some trivial end-thus
proving a stumbling block to our pro-
gress. Had America maintained her
primary attitude toward us, John Bull
would not have been permitted to
pigeonhole Samoan affairs in the man
ner that he has done. The fable of the
dog in the manager applies exactly to
the situation suggested, the result be-
ing painfully and conspicuously evil
dent in our present unfortunate finan-
cial condition A revival of Americas
interest in Samoa would draw atten-
ton to us, and let us hope that the
success of Messrs. Wellman, Neylan
and Hobbs will have that desired eff
feet
Samoa's position is after all not so
different from that of Hawaii as 1t
might be. The United States is simply
requested to do what the proper pro-
lection of it's own interests requires, or
else let the whole business alone and
clear out. The policy of the present adj
ministration toward the islands of the
Pacific has been such a complete fail
ure that the incoming administration
cannot at least make the situation any
worse than it is now.
During the past four years the Unit
ed States has played worse than sec
ond fiddle in Samoa's affairs. The adj
ministration has appeared to be SUI
premely ignorant that Samoa ever fig
ured in the foreign policy of the
United States, and thus the public in
terest in the work on the best harbor
in the group has, as the Samoan Times
says, been dying an ignominious death.
Unless some statesman of more than
ordinary ability gets hold of the dip
lomatic reins in the United States,
that country will lose all the power it
ever had or hoped to have in the Pa
cific ocean.