The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-19
DOLE THREATENED.
England and Japan Used
to Force President
McKinley's Hand.
POSSIBLE RECIPROCITY TREATIES
An Injunction Scheme Back Of the
Mikado's ActiYity-If the
Canal Is Cut
POSSIBLE RECIPROCITY TREATIES
[correspondence of the Associated Press.l

tive OF the Associated Press caileu toudy
upon Colonel ]. W. Macfarlane, promi-
nent Hawaiian as well known in London
and San Francisco as at Honolulu, in
order TO ascertain his views on the
Hawaiian situation.
Colonel Macfarlane, who is in England
on short visit, was. it will be remem-
bered, Chamberlain to the late King. He
is now a resident of San Francisco and
is in the closest touch with Hawaiian
affairs, enjoying alike the friendship and
confidence of the officials of the Hawaiian
Republic and of the Queen and Princess
Kaiulani.
Asked first as to the causes which led
to President Mckinley and Secretary
Sherman so suddenly sending to Congress
a treaty for the annexation of the islands
and whether there was any truth in the
report that President Dole had written
to President Mckinley stating that un-
less annexation to the United States were
completed this year closer relations would
be established with Great Britain, Colonel
Macfarlane said
"In reply to the later question ! would
say that I have it from authentic sources
that the threat was made. But what in
| fuence it had in prompting the matter OF
dllUGAdLlOA dtll u4ieApAS ~ s'"S- - -
the first question I believe the primary
cause of the sudden action of the United
States President was the Japanese situa-
tion on the islands
81 quite agree with the statement of the
japanese Minister at Washington that
the Mikados government has no designs
whatever on Hawaii-she does not wish
to obtain political control there. The
a
| mand for the settlement of a claim by
the Japanese Emigration Companies for
unlawfully restraining some Japanese la
| borers intended for work on the sugar es-
tates on the@ islands from landing at
Honolulu thus occasioning to the
Emigration Companies a loss of about
100000
mo doubt some of the japanese Off
cials on the islands were largely inter-
ested in these emigration companies and
had influence enough to induce the home
government to back up their claim. The
claim was refused by the Hawaiian gov
ernment and strained relations followed
| That is the whole extent of the Japanese
question in Hawaii.
That Japan will use this quarrel as
rretext. for taking possession of the
I regard as utterly absurd Some time
| ago I received this assurance from Jap
anese diplomatic representative in Hon
olulu who row fills a Cabinet post in
Japan. / asked him whether, in the
event of the Japanese population ever be-
coming numerically in excess of either
nationalities on the Islands, Japan might
/ not regard that as a reason for absorb
ing the islands should the present Ha-
waiian Republic fall by internal revolu-
ticn
HE replied that such was impossible
as his Government knew well that such
action would be opposed at once by the
United States and Great Britain also, par
ticularly by the latter. if the United
States did not interpose any objection.
Japan he added, would never do anything
that might antagonize England. What
the Japanese Minister at Washington said
on the suitation is both truthful and
sincere and exactly accords with my
knowledge of the facts.
But there cannot be any doubt that
the Japanese question has been used as
a lever for forcing the hand of Mr.. Nc
KinIey and his administration. The
threat of establishing closer relations
with Great Britain or of concluding
reciprocity commercial treaties with
Canada and Australia probably in
auenced the United States far more
than the japanese bogy as the Executive
must know the real facts of that matter"
Regarding reciprocity treaties between
Hawaii and the British colonies" con-
tinued Colonel Macfarlane. II may Incl
dentally mention that such treaty at
present exists with the United States
whereby all Hawaiian sugars are admit
ted free into the United States under
high sugar tariff which practically
amounts to a bonus of G6 per ton, while
all American-or nearly all American
products are admitted free into Hawaii in
return for this exemption of Hawaiian
sugars.
This treaty, which has been in force
for about is years, has given the Ameri-
cans commercial control of the islands,
and such commercial supremacy naturally
leads to political eontrol-so much so, in
fact, that the United States would fear
similar treaties with Great Britain
which would deprive her of that CONNER
cial and political ascendency in Hawaii
which was the primary reason for the
United States granting this commercial
reciprocity. To sum up, I should say Mr.
Mckinley has. been more influenced by
this probability of closer Anglo-H Hawaiian
relations than by anything else"
Dealing with the effect the proposed
annexation of the islands could have
upon Great Britain, Colonel Macfarlane
said -
1T is a matter of intense surprise to
me that no mention has been made of
tie commercial and political value of the
Sandwich Islands to Great Britain, not
only as being the only available landing
place in the North Pacific for all British
cables across the Atlantic via Canada and
the Pacific to the colonies but also
as being the only part in mid
Pacific on the highway of trade and
travel with Australia, China and the Far
East. In the excitement of the Jubilee
celebrations it seems to have escaped no
t1ce that this group occupies geograph-
ically a unique position. fact of which
American statesmen are well aware.
aShould the Panama or Nicaragua
canals become fats accompiis, these
islands will lie in the direct route to
Imam and Australia and would form the
t,ons with the Far East. With regard to
the British Pacific cable, it will become
an impossibiiity II Hawaii is annexed to
the United States The Hawaiian group
forms the only possible landing place for
such a line the islands in the South
purpose. 1t is quite impossible 70 stretch