The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-12-22
GENERAL FOSTER
His Views Of Hawaii Given in
Washington.
MINISTER COOPER AT CAPITAL
Possibilities Of Treaty Be-
ing Discussed.
Secretary Foster Believes United
States Should Take
Prompt Action.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 30.
The correspondent of the New
York Herald says in his dispaucn-
es: The Hawaiian Minister of For.
eign Affairs Mr.. H. E. Cooper,
who arrived in this country several
weeks ago, reached Washington last
night. He spent last week in Boston,
and will remain in Washington about,
zen days, when he starts for San Fran
cisco. He states that his visit to this
country is purely personal, and that
he has nothing to say for publication.
1t is authoritatively denied that his
presence in the United States has any
connection with the subject of Hawai-
ian annexation. Members of the Ha-
waiian Cabinet are ex-oficio members
also of the Hawaiian Legislature, and
during the session just closed Mr..
Cooper's time was fully occupied in dis
charging these several duties. Feel
ing the necessity for a rest, he came TO
the United States to seek it. The
friends of Hawaii viii make no effort
at the coming session of Congress in
the direction of annexation.
Ex-Secretary of State John w. Fos-
ter is in the city again after his brief
trip to Hawaii, whittier he went to Sc
cure a concession from that Govern
ment for a cable from Honolulu to
Japan and Australia as part of the
concession which the Hawaiian Gov
eminent had already given Colonel
Spalding. Mr. Foster found the Ha-
waiian Government undisposed 10
grant any further concessions west
until the Congress of the United States
had decided what action it would take
with respect to the cable from San
Francisco to Honolulu. If Congress
votes a subsidy for this latter cable,
then Hawaii will grant the concession
for an extension to Asia and Australia.
If, on the other hand, the United States
does not substitute the San Francisco
and Honolulu cable, the Hawaiian
Government prefers to be in a posi-
ton to entertain propositions from
other governments which desire to
connect the islands with Japan and
the south.
General Foster reports a strong SEN
timent among the Americans and some
of the British and German residents in
Hawaii in favor of annexation. The
British and German planters, as rule
oppose the proposition, principally be-
cause annexation would abolish the
contract labor system now in vogue in
the islands. Under existing arrange.
ments the japanese laborers in the
islands, to the number of twenty thou.
sand or thereabout, are all under long.
time contracts, which make them prac.
tically the subjects of the planters, by
whom they are employed. The Ameri
can planters, who also use the con.
tract system, do not, as rule, believe
that it is good for the country, and
their argument is that what is bad fol
Hawaii must be in the end bad fol
themselves. They are willing, there
fore. 10 relinquish what temporary be-
nefit they may get from the system fol
the ultimate good which they believe
will necessarily follow.
+loE -
United States should take some de
finite action speedily with reference tC
Hawaii. 1t is not right, he says, tt
leave them in their present uncertain
position. We ought either to anne,
them, he thinks. or announce TO The
world that we have no further concern
in their affairs. If this be done, it vii