The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-23

unpopular, and may at any moment
be driven from Office. In dealing
with the Hawaiian affair Count
Okuma and his colleagues have
driven themselves into a false
position which they would only be
too glad to get out of if they can
see a way without eating too much
humble pie. They recognize that
their own hand forced the situation.
Yielding to popular outourst they
assumed hectoring and bullying
air to the little Republic, forgetting
that behind the little ope was a very
large one indeed. Had there been
no United States behind Hawaii
matters would have gone with a
high hand, and this country would
have been thoroughly Asiaticized
by this time. The peaceful occu-
patton of Hawaii was ready to
commence and was only stopped
by the strong and decisive stand
made by the Hawaiian Government,
a stand which would have been
overridden had not the guns of the
Philadelphia been here to prevent
any overt act.
After sending the Naniwa, which
was dist nelly demonstration, the
Government of japan could not
withdraw her without some decent
excuse. The final excuse was
found in the necessity of dry dock
ing the vessel, but there will be no
return of the Naniwa or any other
Japanese ship for some time to come.
She has been got out of the way on
an excuse which will not wound
the susceptibilities of the masses,
and she is not going to be sent
again to complicate an affair out of
which the government wishes to
back with what shadow or shred of
dignity it can.
The real question with Count
Okuma at the present time is how
to get out of it. An effort was
made some little time ago to unite
with Spain to neutralize the naval
power of the United States. Count
Ito was never intended to go to
Spain, he should have gone to Ger
many, but the German visit was
cut out in order to carry out tt
Spanish intrigue. The idea was
that, misunderstanding war, Spain
should menace the Atlantic ports
by show of all her navy in Cuban
waters, which would keep the U. S.
Atlantic squadron from coming
round the Horn, and Japan was in
like manner TO menace the Pacific
ports by concentrating a large por-
ton of her navy about the Hawaii II
Islands The scheme was a good
one undoubtedly, but it fell through.
But good as it was it did not calcu-
late upon what the United State S
would do under such circumstances.
The United States is not a country
to be menaced with impunity.
How necessary il was for our
Govern ment to act with the decision
it did is accenturated by the fact
that the shipment of Japanese
immigrants which was stopped and
turned back was all experimental
one, and that there were four COM
panies ready to pour i'll immigrants
had that first step been successful
We were saved, our civilization
was saved, and the advantages OF
the Islands for the United States by
that prompt action, supported as it
was by the power Of the United
States navy. But ali credit must
be given for the initial step. 1t was
one thing to refuse landing, it would
have been quite another thing to
get rid ct horde once landed. The
threatening leak could be plugged,
what would have stemmed the full
yellow tide?
Meantime we may be satisfied
that the japanese question is only
a matter of discussion and argu-
ment, over which the Japanese
Minister ponders to see some little
outlet through which he can crawl
with some shadow Of prestige left
to him.