The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-26
Members Fear Land Will
Increase in Value.
Belief that Government is Not
in Danger if HarbOr is
Not Improved.

WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE most
interesting debate in the House today
was ON the appropriation of $4,000 to
improve Pearl harbor in the Hawaiian
Islands, which was rejected by a vote
of 50 to 80. Hit of Illinois, past and
prospective chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, earnestly urged the
importance of taking steps to confirm
the title of this Government to the
harbor, in view of the Senate proposal
to abrogate the Hawaiian treaty. Hit
said in part:
eff the Hawaiian Islands were an
nexed tomorrow the necessity for the
adoption of this amendment would re-
main as urgent as ever. We have tried
for thirty years to secure naval sta
tons in many parts of the world, and
not one have we today. The navy of
Great Britain, which is so powerful,
can be placed in any part OF the globe
and be within reach of supplies as
we'll as facilities for repair. Our Navy,
in case of war, would be helpless as
soon as its coal ran out. In the Pacific
ocean the great powers of the world
England, France, Germany, Spain
all possess one, two, ten, twenty spots
from which to fit out ships that would
devastate our coasts.
How important does England deem
this advantage when she has poured
out such millions upon these little reefs
and peaks and hills of the Bermudas?
For what has all that been expended?
Not to fight with France-nOt upon the
possibility of a struggle with Russia,
her great rival. 1t is because those
ships carry guns that may come into
our ports; it is because they will be
the most terrible weapons against us
in the contingency of war.
Now, if that treaty fails, if it is
abrogated. Great Britain will instantly
press for new relations with Hawaii.
Instantly Japan will be pressing, and
fercely pressing. In the kilograms this
morning I read that the cruiser Ma
niwa has already arrived at Hawaii to
press threatening claims upon that
feeble Government We will only hold
it with our guns in position, and this
very treaty in diplomatic discussion
has been construed to give us author
ity 10 erect Notifications there"
McMillin-Then the gentleman's pur-
pose is first to improve the harbor and
then fortify it?
Hitt-All that belongs to the gentle
man who will follow on this floor. |
speak of the policy and of the wisdom
of the Government like ours looking
to the fact that the sea power is the
test of rank and success of the nations
of the future We have here moment
in which by this small expenditure we
can put our foot down and do more
than have a hypothetical right-tO
have something more than a cOnten-
ton in a diplomatic discussion-to
plant our flag at the entrance of that
river, and it will not come down in a
thousand years.
Cannon replied to Hit, saying that
this Government was in no great dan
ger if Congress did not make the ap-
preparation at this season. The harbOr
has been granted to the United States
absolutely. for all time. he said, and
was as much our property as any har-
Dor on the Pacific Coast. He believed
the Government should improve Pearl
harbor as it would any other harbOr
it owned when it needed improvement.
1t was within five miles of Honolulu
harbor. where the vessels OF the Unit
ed States had always been able to coal
and always would be while they had
the money to pay for the coal. The
appropriation would not suffice to
dredge the sand from the harbor. The
inhabitants would raise the price OF
their corner lots as soon as improve
ments were commenced on the harbOr.