The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-04-16
TREATY IS SAFE
Tourist Says Better Go
Slow on Annexation.
Changes Which May be Made in
Tariff-Senators and People
Favor Hawaii.

You will excuse me from talking
for publication" said a tourist at the
Arlington yesterday. my opinion on
Hawaiian affairs, viewed from an
American standpoint, wouldn't amount
TO much, anyway. Annexation? Well.
that's another matter, and one on
which the people here had better go
slow.
Il was in Washington six weeks ago
and circulated among the Congress
men, and occasionally saw Liliuokala-
nj. The Hawaiian annexation was
talked of great deal, but there are
other and more vital matters for Con-
gress to look after. The people all
over the world are interested in the
tariff question, and none more so than
the people here. My advice to the Ha-
waiian delegation is to go very slow
about pushing their claims for annex
alton until the Senate dallies with that
bill.
Il have no fear of the reciprocity
treaty being abregated, but 1 look for
some changes. For instance: German,
/ French and English goods, which car
~ a high protective tariff in the Unit
ed States, are brought to Hawaii and
/ sold against the products of American
manufacturers. Your importers over
| look the benefits they have derived
! from the reciprocity treaty as well as
/ the implied terms of that document
when they do this. To me, and to the
Senators the opinion prevails that the
! United States has not been fairly
| treated in the matter
For three years past opponents to
the reciprocity treaty have used as an
argument for its abrogation the Ha-
waiian Custom House statistics, show
! ing the value of.British plantation ma
chinery that has been sold to Hawaiian
plantations since the reciprocity treaty
went into effect, and a great many
! people over there believe that the
[ anti-treaty men have the best side OF
( the argument The Senators who are
/ friendly to Hawaii are doing every
thing to save the treaty, and I think
| they will be successful by modifying
| the treaty to a certain extent, 80 that
American goods will have fair show
with those of European manufacturers.
I have no idea how it will BET accom-
| plished, for it seems like a difficult
problem for one Congress to legislate
| for another country. But then they
can accomplish almost anything when
they set about it.
Another thing, too, Americans who
are at all interested look upon Hawaii
as their own, and these people will use
their influence with their Congressman
to work in the interest of the country
The inroads made by the Japanese is
the strongest point today in favor of
annexation. The people of the United
States have no intention of allowing
the Hawaiian Islands to be an outpost
of Japan, and l think they will make
their influence felt with the Senators
and Representatives. The action of the
United States in the Cuban matter
should not be taken as a criterion in
the case of Hawaii a revolution is 60
ing on there. and the President was
asked to recognize Cubans as belliger-
ents, but the matter did not go
through | do not think there is any
understanding that the United States
shall protect Cuba in any way. It
could not be the case, as Cuba belongs
to a friendly nation. Hawaii is an in
dependent Government, standing the
same as other Governments The peo-
pie who represent the capital of the
Islands want annexation-they want
protection of their industries No
other Government has been asked to
grant this, and none would consider
the request so long as there is an
agreement between them that the
United States shall have the first call
But as l said before: Go slow on an
nexation, and get the tariff bill and
your reciprocity treaty fixed first"