The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-06-14
ANNEXATION TO BRITAIN.


title of an article appearing in the
English Illustrated Magazine. This is
no plea for annexation to the United
States, but an out and out argument
for the annexation of the Hawaiian
islands to Great Britain.
The writer, Douglas Archibald, has
evidently visited the islands within
the last year or so, and has evidently
been struck more with the political
view of Hawaii and its future destiny
than with its scenic beauties.
First, Mr.. Archibald shews the adj
vantages that policy of annexation
would bring to the United States, and
especially as naval station. He dep
recates, however, any special rights
or claims of the United States to the
group. He says that an American an
neXationist once quoted to him the
words of Tacitus. "a Republic. to be
enduring, must be both progressive
and aggressive" and then goes on to
hope that as claim is made to the
Hawaiian islands he hopes it will not
lead to a claim to the whole Northern
Hemisphere.
But if he has an objection to the
United States anneXing the islands,
he has none when he comes to con-
slider the subject from the British
standpoint. He acknowledges that
from "the settlement point of view,
though there are good many Eng
lish merchants and settlers in this
Paradise. we are overweighted by the
American element" But, he adds, sat
the same time, as the first, naval Power
of the world. and in view of the pros
pective developments of Russian and
japanese Pacific fleets, we have an i'm
mense potential interest in the future
of what the Times once declared to
contain the key to the Northen Pa
cifc.'"
Then the writer quotes Captain Ma
hams words. who said of the group:
'These islands are the key of the en-
tire Pacific, and for foreign nation
to hold them would mean that our
Pacific Coast ports and our Pacific
Ocean commerce would enteirely be at
the mercy of that nation" and APP
plies the argument to British Column
bia instead of to California. He points
out that Great Britain already pos
sesses twenty-four groups of islands
in the Pacific, exclusive of Australia
STA. The next passage needs full quo
tion. Mr.. Archibald says:
"The Hawaiian islands lie on the
high road between Canada and Austria
liza. We have far more littoral in Can
ada and Australia to protect from Rus
slams and Japanese, and our total Pa
cific trade is incomparably greater
than that of the United States. Hither-
to we have carefully avoided these
islands in the projected route for the
British Pacific cable between Van
couver and Auckland, and have, at
considerably enhanced expense, di-
verged to Tanning island, because it
was desired to have it entirely under
British control all through: but we
have done so on the ground that they
are an independent Republic and not
out of Difference to any lien the Unit
ed States may entertain in regard to
a Protectorate or to annexation. If
the Monroe Doctrine is to apply to the
Hawaiian group, then why not to the
various small islands which we have
been quietly anneXing of recent
years.
His solution is the permanent neu-
tralization of the Hawaiian group,
which was practically proposed in the
year 1913, and to which the United
States refused to be party; but that
was in the days when she had far-see-
ing statesmen. The other is the occu-
patton of the group, or at least of
Pearl harbor by the British. He CON
cludes by saying: "If we cannot an
mex the group ourselves at least (et
us) secure that they will not be an
neXed by Asiatic or American Powers,
who may use them as a point of van
tage against our commercial marine"
The article is certainly a significant
one and one that the anti-annexation-
lists in the United States may well pom
der over There are, no doubt, plenty
of men who think as Mr.. Archibald
thinks, and his doctrines are of the
kind that soon get followers. 4 few
articles in this style and little scare
in the Australian Colonies, and we
shall have a very strong school of an