The record-union., 1897-07-25
Without Stopping to Ask Who the Owners
Might Be.
The Settlement of the Japan-Ha-
waiian Trouble Making But
Little Headway-The Island
Government Not Inclined to Ac-
cede to Demands Of the japan
csc Government.


steamship China arrived to-day from
the Orient via Honolulu, and was de-
layed in quarantine for some hours.
owing to suspicious case of sickness
IN the steerage, which, however. proved
to be nothing more serious than bilious
fever She brought advices from Hon
olulu under date of July 18th as fol-
lows:
The schooner Norma arrived from the
South Seas on the 10Th. While the YES
sci was cruising on the long voyage,
Captain Rosehill secured sufficient evil
dence to warrant the belief that Eng
land has been taking formal posses
sion of a number of small fertile islands
in that portion of the globe without
stopping to inquire who the owners
might be.
There are many lagoon islands that
are very fertile, but uninha bited These
are now being brought under cultiva-
ton for English companies, who are
planting cocoanut groves and other
tropical fruits for the export trade
The most marked evidence of English
possession was found on the Palmyra
group, situated in something like lati-
tude north and longitude 100 west
This is considered the more remarkable
because the islands, which are of the
lagoon formation and some fourteen in
number, have been owned by the Ha-
waiian Government since 1862 and are
published as such in South Sea Island
biographies. They We're taken posses
sion of formally in the name of the Ha-
waiian Government in 1862 by a mas
ter mariner who was given to explor-
ing. At that time a house was erected
on the largest island, vegetables plant
ed about the place, and a white man
and several natives landed there as a
colony. The venture did not succeed at
the time and all evidence of the old
dwelling has disappeared.
Il had not visited Palmyra Island for
perhaps a dozen years until Mr.. Coz
ems, a planter who came with me from
Hull Island, and 1 went ashore there a
few weeks 49," 4II Captain Rosehill.
Almost the first thing that attracted
our attention on the island was the
remnant of an old flag pole, at the foot
of which proclamation, written on
cloth, but for the most part effaced by
the weather was nailed to a stout piece
of planlxing. We could only make out
enough of the wording to indicate that
the sign was proclamation declaring
Great Britain. Evidently party had
landed from man-Of-war there a short
time ago, and remained there for some
time, for the tent stakes We're still in
the ground, and heaps of ashes remain
ed where camp fires had merrily blazed.
Bits of clothing and trapping picked up
about the place bore the initials of the
H. M. S. Penguin
A liz 70
Hawaii by the Japanese Government as
special Commissioner in the Naniwa,
returned to Toxic on the 18th.
THE Japanese question remains in
statu quo said Attorney General
Smith I'VE have given our views,
which happen to be Numerically oppo-
site those of Japan, and there we are.
The last phase was submitted to Min
lister Shimamura about two weeks ago,
and he felt it his duty to submit the
matter to his home Government.
In all of our intercourse with him,
Minister Shimamura has shown himself
to be anxious to have the differences
settled amicably and with as little
trouble as possible. Both publicly and
privately he has been all that anyone
could desire. He is carrying out the
instructions of his Government in ask
ing us to accede in certain things, !
which we cannot do. He does not feel
that he can give way, and that is our
position. We have certainly made no
Roadway, and it does not look as
though we can under the present con- |
ditionS.
You understand that we claim the
right to pass and enforce laws which |
regulate the immigration to this coun-
try. In one of the first communica-
lions received from Minister Shima-
mura on the subject ne admitted that
right. but later he claimed for his Gov |
eminent that the enforcement of such a
law was in direct violation of the clause
in the treaty which gives subjects or
japan the same rights as those of the i
most favored nation.
What do 1 think II Japan would sew
er her treaty relations with Hawaii?
WHY. she would be thrown out of
court so far as this difficulty is con- /
cerned. l do not know what the gen.
eral result would be. The treaty has
been mutually beneficial. Our interests
have been benefited by the Japanese, |
and those people have benefited
through earning money for themselves
and their families
When arbitration was suggested as
the only solution to the dilemma Mr.. |
Smith ventured no opinion.
Within little more than a fortnight |
the Hawaiian Hotel premises will be |
offered for sale at public auction. |
Whether there will be any bidders
cannot be definitely ascertained at the |
present time.
The lowest offer which the Govern |
ment will consider is 100000. People |
who are interested in the matter insist |
that this price is exorbitant in view of /
the fact that the Government does not /
own a number of the cottages which |
adjoin the hotel proper. AS the owners |
of these cottages have naturally placed /
a snug little sum on their properties a |
purchaser would have very little left |
out of 100000 after ne had bought in /
this square.
z. C. Macfarlane, one of the present |
lessees of the hotel premises, is now in |
San Francisco, presumably for the pur-