The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-26

Provisional Government of Hawaii,
who shall within six months from the
PRONUNCIATION of This constitution, pro-
cure from the Minister of the Interior,
a certificate of such service as herein
set forth, and VINO shall take the oath
of allegiance to support the constitu-
ton and the laws of the Republic so
long as he shall remain domiciled in
the Republic, shall be entitled to all
the privileges of citizenship without
thereby prejudicing his native ale
glance or citizenship"
FRIENDLY TO UNCLE SAM.
The residents of Hawaii when travel
ing abroad would much prefer to do
so with Uncle Sans passport than
with that of the infant Republic of Ha-
wall. The people feel that they should
belong to us. Their ways are intended
as nearly as can be to be our ways and
they look to us for protection.
If we permit none other than selfish
considerations to move us-the islands
have wealth and commercial import
ance to recommend annexation and
there is no reason why the local gov
eminent should not be as self-support-
ing as any of our States and Territor-
les. 1t certainly has more to recon-
mend it in this regard than Alaska.
The Importance of the islands as a
naval station however, outweighs
every other consideration. We in
the East do not begin to realize the
commercial Importance of our western
coast and the imperative necessity to-
provide for its protection. The growth
and Importance of Australia, China,
Japan and Siberia to the East, is a
thing of today. The Hawaiian Islands,
whilst 2100 miles from San Francisco,
are the nearest point of land in the
broad eXpanse of the Pacific. From
San Francisco to Japan by the shortest
course, is 1890 miles; to Australia is
much farther-67S0 miles. So that a
man of war sailing from our ports, if
the Hawaiian Islands were held by an
enemy, would be obliged to coal and
provision for a possibly fifteen days
ocean trip before reaching the seat of
operations. Possession of these ISL
ands just divides the distance, makes
them a base for supplies and thereby
gives us command of the Pacific and
protects our borders from any threat
ened danger from the Orient Since
the war between China and Japan and
the rapid development of the latter
nation and what bids fair to be an
aggressive policy on her part, we can
not tell how soon we may be drawn
into strained relations. We are GER
tainly less likely to be precipitated into
a struggle if we control these islands
than we would be if they were held
or controlled by a foreign power.
OF the total population of from
10000 to 100000 in the islands today,
$4,000 are Chinese and $4,000 Japanese, /
and the Japanese population is being
rapidly increased by the importation of
labOrerS for the sugar plantations.
One OF the citizens of the Republic
with whom l talked upon the subject,
reflected this idea. 1 asked him if the
people were in favor of annexation.
His reply was, They have been, but
there is no telling how long that SEN
timent may be in the majority, by rea-
son of the rapid increase of the Jap
anese population. The time is there
fore ripe for action. Cable communi-
cation at least, should be at once es-
tablished
The Republican party platform
refer to it as follows: Our foreign
policy should be at all times, firm,
vigorous and dignified and all our in
terests in the Western Hemisphere
carefully watched and guarded The
Hawaiian Islands should be controlled
by the United States and no foreign
power should be permitted to inter-
fere with them. The Nicaragua Canal
should be built, owned and operated
by the United States, and by the pur-
chase of the Danish Islands, we should
secure proper and much needed naval
station in the West indies
ANNEXATION DESIRED.
The Hawaiian Gazette, a semi-week-
ly newspaper of Honolulu, under date
of June 50, says: I'VE shall never
have full stability until we are an
neXed. The Government can and does
hold its own internally, but it is open
to external influences that it cannot re-
sist. Annexation would give us what
the merchant and mechanic OF the
country need-perfect stability and
absolute security" In commenting
upon the party platform, it says: The
foreign policy outlined for the cam
paign will be received with unalloyed
qualification in this country. 1t is a
practical sanction OF the administra-
ton of President Harrison and with
out making the annexation question a
direct party issue, foreshadows the
success of the movement for closer
political union. That Hawaii has not
been forgotten by the Mckinley lead
ers was evidenced by Senator Thurs