The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-31
NEUTRALITY.


ginning to appreciate the possibility
of the struggle between the East
and the West which must take
in the Pacific waters. 1t has taken
some time to drive the notion into
the heads of those who would not
see, but apparently the idea has at
last penetrated and the possibility
of such a thing has commenced to
loom up.
What the condition of this country
would be were it not efficiently
protected at such time ought to
be clear to any intellect. But there
are some who cling to the "neu-
trality" idea under the impression
that that will afford an effectual
protection. 1t is the vainist of
hopes, the weakest of straws to
cling to. ANY one who will take
the trouble to read Captain Mahan's
Life of Nelson" can get a very
good idea OF what would be the
fate of these Islands as neutral
state between two warning powers
like those of the East and the West,
or for the matter of that of two
warning Western powers.
The small states of the Mediter-
ranean during the war between
France and England were bullied in
turn by Napoleon and Nelson.
Each one drew supplies in turn from
these states whether they liked it
or not, and each one took revenge
upon the little neutral states for
breaking the neutrality. Nelson
used to burn and destroy the neu-
trail merchant ships and Napoleon
used to hang the civic officers occa-
sionally, ane levy contribution
upon the inhabitants to which all
had to pay their quota. Those
unfortunate little neutral states lay
between the devil and the deep sea,
and from the harryin they got then
some of them have never recovered,
though that was over a 'hundre d
years ago. When the war was
over no one bothered to build them
up, or look after their rights and
they remained ruined.
The fact is neutrality is very
pretty in theory, but it will only
work in practice if you have physi-
cal force enough to make your
neutrality respected. If you have
not, both sides in a quarrel will
force you to give them assistance
and then will turn round and punish
you for giving assistance to the
other side. War is no child's play,
each participant takes what advan-
tage it can of the other, and the cry
of chats not fair" which the
neutrality believers pin their faith
to, will have little effect upon either
belligerent Those who pin their
faith upon the possibilities of neu-
trality remind one very much of
the late King Kalakaua. He was
very anxious for stategic purposes,
to have railroad encircling the
Island of Oahu He dwelt upon
the advantage it would be, because
a small body of troops could be
rapidly moved to any point where
an enemy proposed to land, and
could prevent the landing. The plan
worked admirably on paper, till
some one said, What if the enemy
should send a boats crew ashore
and blow up the railroad with
dynamite?" "Oh that would not
be fair" said the king. He had
lost sight, as the neutrality cranks
have, of the fact that "All's fair in
war"
No. the safety of the Hawaiian
Islands lies in the protecting arm of
a great power. That power can
only be the United States. To have
that protection effectual we should
be an integral portion Of the Great
Republic. To the Hawaiian annex
alton means preservation He be-
comes the citizen of great state,
his voice will be equally as great as
that of the most powerful citizen.
Annexation is safety for the Ha-
waiian. Anti-annexation means
ultimate humiliation. 1t means
the eventual ruin of our industries,
the extinction of our trade; it
means poverty and its attendant
ills. The Anglo Saxons on these
shores can seek other climes and
can earn a living or fortune else
where, but the Hawaiian can not
do that. He will have to remain
here and bear the ills which the