Evening star., 1897-03-31
The Case of Hawaii.

The President has practically postpoheu
actio, in the case of Cuba by deciding to
send a special commissioner to investigate
The actual situation there and To enaDle
the administration to move inteligentiy on
the basis of its own info rmation as 10 pres
ent conditions / the island Without ref
erence to the necessity of such a step. II
is plain that it leaves the President more
free than before to take up the matter of
Hawaiian annexation. which Is the only
other question of international relationship
of present Importance. In Its way 1t Is ur-
gent In its claims upon the attention of
this sovernment-not matter OF days
or weeks to be sure. yet demanding con-
stderation at the earliest possible oppor-
tunity. There Is no necessity for special
Investigations in this case. The fact is
now public that the regularly established
government of Hawaii desires and offers
annexation and 1t is we'll known that this
sentiment Is shared by a large majority of
the people. The petition soon to be laid be
fore this government lacks nothing so far
force and regularity are concerned. 1t
can not be treated a surprise nor
unwarranted by the conditions in Hawaii
This brings the United States to a direct
consideration of whether it is desirable
for IL to undertake such enterprise as
the addition of the Pacific islands to its
territory. Such a question can be studied
here. in the light of the known facts.
The elements to be weighed are of two
: orts political and commercial. Can Ha-
wall he admitted into the nation upon such
terms as TO prevent any unsettlement of
TIE present basis of American affairs? Can
the United States safely neglect this op-
pOrtunity to secure a valuable strategic out
post and thus to prevent some other nation
from obtaining 1t and using it TO menace
the safety of these coasts? Are the re-
sources of Hawaii such as to guarantee
tnat the new member of the Union will be
seif-suStaining? These are the questions
which must be answered in reaching con-
CIUsion in the premises. The informa ton
thus far "a hand bearing upon all three of
them tends TO create such an attitude to-
ward each query that annexation seems not
only practicable and safe but even neces-
sary. The group can readily be constituted
"A territory under a governor with all the
requisite machinery for administration.
without in any way disarranSing the ex-
IstIng political conditions on the continent.
leaving the question of statehood to he an
Swered by future developments The is
lands rich in resources and offer excep-
tIOnaI advantages to investors and home
seekers. 1t is now well established that the
tide of immigration is so strong from Japan
that the balance of power is steadily and
rapidly passing into the hands OF the ia
panese, who will in very few years be in
q position to demand and secure suffrage
which under present conditions can only
lead TO the absorption by them of the re-
public and it's transformation into a Japa-
nese colony. There is but one other pSssi-
bility than this-should the United States
decline the offer of annexation-and that is
the forcible occupation of the islands by
some such aggressive power as Grea
Britain. whose history a iand-grabber i!
such as TO warrant this contingency. will
all its dangers to the United States. being
taken into 50 rious consideration