The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-08-10

ing or rejecting it for themselves.
The moro civiised these people
have been by the efforts OF the
American missionaries and teachers,
the stronger is their title to de-
eide their future. But there is more
than sentiment involved.
The Treaty, it appears, will give
the Executive OF the United States
full and irresponsible control ovor
the Grown lands and harbors Of Ha-
wall; and Mr.. Stevens. defending
his conduct in 1898, said: "A para
mount reason why annexation should
not be long postponed is that, il it
soon takes place, the Grown and
Government lands will be cut up
aud sold to American and Christian
Caucasian people, thus preventing
the islands from being submerged
aud overrun by Asiatics, putting an
end to Japanese ambitions stimulat-
ed by our strong European rival"
There is a "dsal" to be made in
those public lands, and it is to be
feared that the native Hawaiians will
not get much out of it. But there is
an element OF comedy in the hostili-
ty shown to Chinese and Japanese
immigrants; for in the latest report
on coffee cultivation in the islands,
it is stated that the natives do not
make good laborers in the planta-
tions, so that planters have to look
to the Japanese and Chinese. 1t is
not remarkable that Americans love
the Celestial dearly as a worker out
OF whose labor they can make profit,
but will not tolerate him in any
other capacity2
Jealousy of this country has been
the motive of some OF the advocates
OF annexation in the United States.
1t has been said that we are wistful
to annex the islands, because they
would be an admirable naval sta
ton; and people in the States were
warned that the possession of Ha-
wall would be necessary to them in
the even of war with us. Captain
Mahan, if we recollect rightly, ad-
vocated annexation by the States
for this reason, and another naval
writer, inythe North American Re-
view for March, 1895, asserted that
"any foreign Power occupying Ha-
waii would have an impregnable
base from which to strike at any
part Of our Pacific coast and destroy
our Pacific commerce. Not only
this, but Hawaii is the only base in
the Pacific from which this could be
successfully done. Great Britain's
ships are never more than 1900
miles from base Of supplies and
repair" If the people OF this coun-
try think that they do not wish to
attack the United States in the
Pacific or elsewhere, and to destroy
her commerce, this, OF course, is
only proof Of the case with which
they can delude themselves. But
the fact that, not only have We not
made an attempt to damage Amer
lean influence in Hawaii, but have
even entered into a self-defying
ordnance with Germany and the
United States, might count for
something. The United States, it
seems, are ready to break their
treaty obligations to us and to
Germany; at any rate, there is no
announcement that the sending OF
the annexation treaty to the Senate
to-day, has been preceded by an
agreement with this country. But
no sort OF attempt can be alleged
against US. In the past, we did in
deed obtain the cession OF the ISL
ands. This was in February, 1913;
but in July the same year we gave
them back to the native ruler. In
the circumstances, America would
probably gain more by adhering to
the policy set forth by Daniel Web
ster than by initiating policy for