Evening star., 1897-05-12
The Vote on the Amendment Not
Considered Decisive.
NECESSITY FOR IT'S IMPROVEMENT
The House Not Fully Informed
+ on the Subject.
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION

The action of the House in rejecting the
Senate amendment appropriating $4,000 in
the sundry civil bill for the Improvement
of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is not likely to be
final. 1t Is not unusual for one house or
the other to formally reject an amend
ment in this way, and then to accept 1t in
conference. But It is hardly possible that
this amendment would have failed of
prompt acceptance by the House had the
situation been fully understood or had It
been possible to state to the House the
exact Hawaiian situation.
There are features Of the question rem
der1ng the immediate possession and i'm
provement of the harbor almost fmpera
being stated In the open session of Con-
sress. These could be no more than limited
at by Mr.. Hit In his earnest argument in
penaf OF the amendment
The Vote Not Decisive.
ine vote on the amendment was far from
decisive. There was a very small attend
ance on the republican side of the House,
and there was a woeful lack of fnforma-
ton. Very few Of the republicans voted
against the amendment. In the Senate the
provision was put into the sundry civil hill,
oy unanimous vote. When 1t gets into con-
ference there Is little doubt that the House
voted against the improvement of Pear.I
darDor did so with the idea that the isla nds
Wouio soon be annexed, and that a coaline
station might then be established anywhere
on the islands. Ae'
Annexation Near at Hand.
The fact is that the annexation of Ha-
wall appears to be near at hand. The ad.
mfnistration has a fixed policy in respect
to the matter. and practically the only
tnins waited for is an opportune time to
call the matter to the attention of Con-
gress and to determine upon the manner
IN which the islands shall he annaxad
But very strong influences are at wor;- IN
opposition to the establishment Of Ameri-
can aomination over Hawaii and II ia re-
garded as matter of the most vital i'm
possession of Pearl Harbor
Effect of Abroxatfnr the T.c,tx
Wmle the abrogation of the reciprocity
treaty with Hawaii. by either direct or in
olFect means. would not actually destroy
our rights to Pearl Harbor, it would lift
the embargo which now rests upon the
cession of territory by the Hawaiian COW
ernment to any other foreign power. WIN.
OUT our possession of the harbor being es-
taoiished by physical occupancy, it is
recognized by those occupied with the me-
st,uatio equations and and fully informed as to the
SITUATION that the power of the United
states to enforce the policy Of not permit
ting the establishment of other foreign
powers on the islands would be completely
destroyed.
American Sentiment In Hawaii.
The domination of American sentiment
IN Hawaii now is due to the fact that the
American element posses the wealth of the
ISLANDS. If those are deprived Of this in
huence by the destruction of their fortunes
through the ahrogatfon of the treaty and
the American is denied through
the failure tosestablish possession Of Pearl
harbor. foreign powers will get a footaoId
there or the United States win be COM
PEELED to go to war to prevent it. =
Not Speculation, but Facts.
This is not a matter Of idle speculation.
1t Is state of facts which is giving grave
concern. The official information ia that
the Japanese are ready to get possession of
the government. having the privileges of
citizenship to enable them to do so: and
that Great Britain Is ready to take grants
from the Hawaiian government and es-
tablish steamship lines and cable communi-
cation.
Thus the failure to take proper prccau-
tions now, would, 1t is believed, not only
put an end to the plans for annexation, but
would utterly destroy American influence
in the islands.