The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-14


The most complete and comprehensive ar
gument in favor of the annexation of Ha-
wall by the United States comes from Hon.
Lorin A Thurston. formerly Hawaiian min
lister to this country. In a pamphlet en-
titled Handbook on the Annexation of
Hawaii he discusses the subject from a
statesmanlike point of view and presents
strong reasons why the islands should
come under the United States government
He also makes a fair presentation of the
arguments against annexation, and answers
them Chief among the reasons for an
nexation he holds that it will prevent the
establishment of an alien and possibly hos
tile stronghold in a position commanding
the Pacific coast and the commerce of the
North Pacific and definitely and finally Sc
cure to the United States the strategical
control of the North Pacific, thereby pro-
tecting our Pacific coast and commerce
from attack. This argument is not new
but Mr.. Thurston puts it very strongly. On
this point he says:
All the great powers of Europe lie, or
have coaling stations, within steaming dis
lance of the Atlantic coast of the United
states. No nation possesses coaling sta
ton near enough to the Pacific coast to be
available as a base of operations against
it. The Pacific is so wide that naval ships
cannot cross and operate on the Pacific
coast without. recoaling. A country in
possession of Hawaii would have a base
of supply and repair within four or five
days Stcaming of any part of the Pacific
coast, ard be a standing menace to it and
its commerce. By simply keeping other ma
lions out of Hawaii the United States will
secure almost absolute immunity from
naval attack on its Pacific coast. Upon the
opening of the Nicaragua or Panama canal
practically all of the shipping bound for
Asia, making use thereof, will stop at Hon
olulu for coal and supplies.
This is an interesting view of the case
If the possession of adjacent territory and
islands near the Atlantic coast were an
open question the United States would
never consent that they should be con-
trolled by foreign power Great Britain
has powerful Notifications at Halifax and
on the ,Bermudas, Spain controls Cuba, and
other European powers own islands have
coaling stations in the West Indies. 1t is
too late for the United States to prevent
these Judgments on the Atlantic side, but
it should take timely steps to prevent any
foreign power from getting control of Ha-
wall on the Pacific side. Mr.. Thurston re-
menace. He says:
Regardless of the declarations of the
Japanese government, Hawaii has, against
the will and efforts Of it's government and
people, dr1fted Japanward during the past
two years; and unless radical action is
taken to stay the process, there can be
but one logical result viz. the ultimate SUI
premacy of the Japanese and thereby of
Japan in Hawaii. This will be accomplished
in the teeth of the American policy of ex-
clusion of foreign control, and with no
tangible overt act on the part of the Japan
eSe government.
The controversy with Japan is the pre-
limnary skirmish in the great coming
struggle between the civilizations of the
East and West. The issue in Hawaii is
whether in that Inevitable struggle, Asia or
America shall have the vantage ground Of
the control of the naval key OF the Pa
cific," the commercial crossroads OF the
Pacific" All that is now holding Hawaii
from retrograding into an Asiatic outpost is
a handful of resolute and determined men.
But there is a limit to their strength, and
if help is to come it must come soon. An
nexation will settle the issue and maintain
American control in Hawaii and nothing
else will.
This idea of conflict between the civil
izations of the East and the West is not
purely visionary. When one remembers
how Japan has awakened in recent years,
how aggressive she has become, and how
steadily the course of empire and of Ameri-
can civilization have moved westward, it is
easy to believe that the time may come
when the civilizations of the East and the
West may come in conflict for the SUI
premacy. In such an event the power that
controlled Hawaii would have an immense
advantage. Without quoting further from
Mr. Thurston's pamphlet it may be said
that he makes an exhaustive presentation
of the case and concludes that the logic
of events and of manifest destiny points to
annexation as the only syatesmanlke solu-
ton of the question.