The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-05-18
AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT READ
TO THE COMMITTEE.
The Advantages of the Treaty Clearly
Put-What Must Happen if the
Treaty is Abrogated

!
waiian Reciprocity Treaty should not
be abrogated. He calls attention to
the fact that the Treaty provides for
twelve months notice before abroga-
ton, and then says that the PROPOSE
tion to place duties on certain Hawaii
an products imported to the United
States would, if adopted, be a viola
ton of the Treaty.
He presented the following argu-
ments against abrogatng the Treaty;
1t would be deliberate violation
of "A solemn treaty. There is no over
whelming necessity shown for imme-
diate action of so grave chara cter
as to require reputation of an inter-
national treaty.
The imposition of duty on Ha-
waiian products, especially without
the notice required by the Treaty,
would disarrange and throw into con-
fusion all of the mercantile and
financial interests existing between
the islands and the United States, and
suspend, curtail and ruin not only
many Hawaiian citizens. but great
numbers of Americans, both in Ha-
waii and the United States, who have
made investments to the amount of
approximately $4O.OO0,OOO upon the
faith of the Treaty.
He further said on the general sub
ject of the relations between the
United States and Hawaii:
"Tt is submitted that as the wears
have passed and the policies of in
tervention and non-intervention with
affairs beyond the limits of the Re-
public have lternately waXed and
waned, one consistent and persistent
policy has been pursued by the United
States concerning Hawaii, viz:
THAT the preservation of the Ha-
waian islands from the control of
any other nation is essential to the
welfare of the United States.
The enunciation of this principle
has not been confined to any party
or branch of the Government.
with Hawaii in the hands of any
hostile Power, the only coaling sta
tion from Nicaragua to Hongkong,
from San Francisco to Samoa, would
be closed to American cruisers, and
made a center from which hostile de-
scents could be made upon the Pacific
81
"The objective point of the United
States policy has been political and
not financial, advantage. The Reel
procity Treaty was not primarily III
tended as an experiment in recipro-
city for the purpose of extending
American trade. The object in view
was not dollars; but that which dol
lars could not buy-the creation and
maintenance of Il friendly state
If the Treaty was abrogated, it was
q pointed out that the following disad
+, vantages would accrue to the lutte
States and its citizens:
l. Hawaii will levy duty on al
United States products which are FIRE,
! under the Treaty.
2. Hawaii will probably enter into
reciprocal commercial relations win
other countries which are commercial
rivals of the United States, which vii
9 largely divert Hawaiian trade and til;
profits arising therefrom to hos.
: countries.
g 3. The same causes which have prac
q tically driven American shipping "u
9 of the trade of every other count"!
l. will operate to eliminate it from iht
6 Hawaiian trade.
h T. The political control, for whicl
h American statesmen have been striv
ing for sixty years, and have So sue
cessfully accomplished, will be ahan
doned at a stroke, and America vii
, be relegated from the dominant posi-
=. ton which it now holds to the posi-
# ton which it occupied in 1912, whel
a England and France alternately bul
:. lied and took possession of the isl
p ands, and claimed equal and csei
n superior rights to the Unite1 States.
"Instead of the United States re
naming the practical suzerain powe
over Hawaii, as it now is, by the vol
untary act of the United States Ila
e wall will be turned loose to becom
IS the prey of the first great powe
t. which chooses to gather it in, and tn
o United States will have placed itsel
e upon an equality with England
France and Japan to thereafter en-
Q Hawaii under the disadvantages G
a self-infiicted handicap