San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-28
BRITAIN Aggressive
Afraid Uncle Sam Will
Get Too Much.
SHE SEIZFS AN IMPORTANT
ISLAND OF THE HA-
WAlIAN GROUP.
America Will Investigate And If
It Is HaWaii'S The British
Flag Must Come Down,
A List Of The Sand
Wich Group.

New York, July ga special to the
Herald from Washington, says:
Official information of the action OF
the British government in taking pos
session of the Island of Palmyra, in
the Pacific ocean, has been received
at the State department. The intor-
nation was embodied in a dispatch
which reached the department yester-
day from San Francisco, 1t having
been wired from that point by the dis
patch agent of the department station
ed there, who has received it from
Minister Sewall at Honolulu. Evil
IDENTIFY Mr.. Sewall regarded the matter
as of great Importance, for it is under
stood it was the only subject received
by wire from the steamer which ar
rived at San Francisco the latter part
of last week The message from Min
lister Sewan contained the bare fact
of the seizure of the island.
The action of Great Britain in taking
possession of the island at this time,
following as it does, the submission of
an annexation treaty to the Senate by
the president. Whether it is intend
ed to complicate matters so as to stave
off annexation or whether Great Braft-
ain proposes establishing naval sta
ton upon the island in question, her
action is regarded as of the highest
Importance, and future developments
will be awaited with keen interest by
officials here.
1t is now the intention of the State
department officials to gather all the
information possible in regard to Pal
myra island. Should their search
strengthen Hawaiis' right to the terri
tory, then it is proposed to send in
structions to Minister Sewall directing
him to urge the Dole authorities to
protest to Great Britain against her
action. The United States, of course,
would uphold such a protest, and the
officials believe that it will result in
the removal of the British flag from
the island should it prove to be terri
tory really belonging to the Hawaiian
group.
So far as the officials have been able
to learn up to the present time Pal
myra was occupied good many years
ago by a number of Hawaiian citizens
who raised the Hawaiian flag. The
island was first discovered by the ia
nous navigator, Capt. Cook, who af-
terward lost his life in the Hawaiian
islands. An American corporation
known as the Phoenix Guano company
located on the island some years ago,
and built sheds and wharf and re-
moved therefrom all the guano depog-
its. When these deposits had been ex-
hausted the company abandoned the
island, leaving the sheds and wharfs
standing.
According to the Hawaiian govern
ment, Palmyra islnad has never been
surveyed, so that its extent cannot be
accurately estimated. 1t was known
some time ago as Americas Island.
Some navy officers say that Palmyra
island is to be converted into a coal
ing station by Great Britain. The
British government, they declare, has
been anxious to obtain possession of
a coaling station in the vicinity Of Ha-
wall, and would have been glad some
years ago to have obtained possession
Of Pearl Harbor had not the American
government stood in the way.
This and other facts which have
come to the attention of the State de-
partment officials and naval officers
will convince them that Great Britain
is DESTROYS of securing some point in
the mid-Pacific which could be useful
both as coaling station and cable |
station. Nothing definite can be as
certained, however, until the authori- |
ties are in possession of more informa-
ton than they now have.
1t is expected that Minister Sewall's |
mail report, which will arrive at |
Washington the latter part Of the week |
will contain additional facts, and its |
receipt is being looked forward to |
with great interest. An official Of the |
Japanese legation in discussing the |
seizure Of Palmyra said:
The Japanese government is in to-
tai ignorance Of this act Of the British |
government. 1t is rather an amusing |
thing to us, on the whole. In one Of |