Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-11

ing the future by the past, the chances
r are that 1t will Its might is not an in
surance against war. Rome ruled the
+ world, put war came. The intervening sea
VIII not prevent 1t. England. the one iso-
, lated nation of Europe, has more wars
than all the rest of Europe put together
There is no certainty that there will be
war; but on the other hand there is no
certainty that there will not be- The ma
tons are making more preparation for
war than ever before
wars come nowadays, suddenly and I'M
expectedly. The nations are in such a
state OF preparation that they accom-
plish in a week what formerly took
months. The Austro- Prussian war was
finished in six weeks. Germany over-ran
France within four months japan
opened the war with China by sinking
ship and killing 1000 men.
turkey and Greece each began hostil-
ties without notice
Any nation which attacks the United
states by way of the west, will. as a mil
itary necessity, first occupy Hawaii as a
| base of operations
The first intimation of war NAV be the
SEIZURE of Hawaii; and any strong mari
tlmc nation once entrenched in Hawaii
can be evicted therefrom only by vast ex-
| penditure and tremendous effort
| gibraltar is lesson of how much easier
1t is to let warlike nation in. than it is
to get it out of, strong position.
The United States already has enough
| territory, people and problems. We
want no more of them. Let well
enough alone
| The chief reason for the annexation OF
Hawaii is to secure a vantage ground
for the protection of what the United
States already owns.
1t is not primarily to secure new terri
| tory. promote shipping and increase COM
| merce: but to prevent the ACQUISITION nv
Of m ctr
possessing peculiar strategic relations to-
ward this country. In comparison with
the benefit and advantage of securing
control of this strategic stronghold what
DO the disadvantages amount to?
Even II all the people of Hawaii are
not up to the ideal American standard.
how can they harmfully affect the Ameri-
100000. No more than are sometime land
ed in New York in single quarter. About
one-tenth of l per cent. of the present
population. How can this insignificant
addition of people without the powers
appurtenant to statehood-with only such
limited territorial government as Con-
greSs pleases to grant-injurIously affect
the life and fortunes of the American
people, when the dominant element in
Hawaii politically socially and finan-
cially, is so strongly American as to have
converted an alien land and people into
the most American spot on earth?
AS to problems, what problems that the
United States does not now have will It
have after annexation?
None arising from the people of Hawaii
coming over here. If they wanted to come
to America they could come now. But
they have no reason for coming. They
are more prosperous now than the people
of the United States, and after annexa-
zion they will be more prosperous still.
The movement of population is already
to, and not from, Hawaii, and annexation
will greatly accelerate 1t.
The people of Hawaii will remain in
Hawaii and will themselves settle To-
cally the local problems arising out of
local conditions, with no more effect
upon the political life and principles Of
the general government, than has a
town election or local option agitation
in Arizona.
AS a territory Hawaii will have no vote
in national affairs; and with the feeling
against admitting new states. statehood
Is not an issue or practical question
Financially no problem will be created,
Hawaii is more than self-supporting
internationally. no problems will be
created. On the contrary. an interna-
problem of ..How to
keep other nations out of Hawaii''-will
be solved and written off the books
FROM military standpoint no problems
Will be created. On the contrary the mil
tary situation will be simplified Military
experts unite in acknowledging that Ha-
wall is a strategical point of the first i'm
portance, ranking with Gibraltar and the
SueZ canal
II it is ever necessary to fortify Hawaii.
IT will be easier to do so If 1t belongs to
the United States, than If it belongs to
another. and possibly hostile government.
Ihis objection is made by those who
THINK the United States does not need to
take part in affairs beyond its borders,
and that danger lies in every direction be-
yond them.
No man lives unto himself. neither can
nation. No nation can stand still 1t
must either progress or retrograde
For a number of years the United
States grew and developed, while paving
but slight attention to her international
relations, either political or commercial
The manifest reason. was that it pos
sessed a vast undeveloped area which af-
forded full scope for energy and capital
That condition no longer exists. The un.
occupied territory has been taken up and
the creative energy of the American peo-
pie can no longer be confined within the
Union. Production has so .ontrun con-
sumption in both agricultural and manu- .
tactured products that forefsnSsmarkets
must be secured or stagnation-sWiN ensue
Foreign trade means foreign interests
which must be protected. 1t means rival
rieS and jealOusies with other exporting
nations in which the American citizen
must have the support of his government.
Inc day has gone by when the United
states can ignore it's international privi-
ieges and obligations. Whether 1t will or
no. the logic of events is forcing the
American people to take their place as
one of the great international nations.
and incidentally thereto. to adopt such
position.