The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-04
THE WORLDS CHANGING FRONT.
Our Need of Hawaii Involved I'm the
Movements of Russia.
Ion. ]. r. Proctor, in the Forum

Hon. j. X. Proctor, IN the Forum.
Russia has been striving for centuries TO
the Great has become crystalliZed into
national aspiration. Gibraltar, Malta, the
SueZ canal and the preponderating strength
of the British navy make the Mediterran-
can English lake, even should Russia
pass the BoSphorus. The entrance to Rus
sas Baltic ports is blocked by ice for a
great part of the year. Thwarted on the
west and south, ice-bound on the north,
this great mysterious, seemingly irresisti-
BILE power extends her dominion steadily
until she reaches the Sea Of Japan on the
east; acquiring by bold and skillful diplo-
macy. the Amur country, equal in area to
France. For the purpose of uniting her
vast dominions. Russia is pushing to speedy
completion her great Siberian railway from
the Trial mountains to her Asian seaport
fortress. The names around this Eastern
fortress indicate Russian aspirations:
Vladivostock, means Ruler Of the East,
the harbor is called the Golden Horn;
the passage to the sea the Eastern Bos
phorus" and the bay the Gulf of Peter
the Great" If not in Europe, yet in Asia,
after centuries of patient striving, will Rus
sian dreams of becoming a sea power at
last be realized.
The presence of Russia in the far East,
tween Russia and China, followed by the
awakening of China from her sleep of CEN
turtles: the extension of French dominion
in Indo-China, Siam and Madagascar: the
portioning of Africa and the islands of
the Pacific among European powers: the
industrial growth of Japan and her en-
naval and military power; the completion
of the great military highways from Hall
fax to Vancouver and from St. Petersburg
to Vladivostock; the rapid peoplng of Brit
ish Columbia and our North Pacific States,
and of the Amur and Manchuria, districts
all tend to change the front of the world,
ard to transfer to the placid Pacific the ma
tional activities which. for three centuries
past, have rendered the Atlantic the thea
ter of stirring events
We must expect points of vantage in the
Pacific to be occupied. There is a vast area
of the Pacific ocean with one. and only one.
great land-locked harbor. easily defended
Pearl harbor. in the Hawaiian islands.
The Hawaiian islands, the most import
ant stra tegic position in the Pacific-are to-
day like a dereIict flying a flag of distress
in mid-ocean With a government repre-
senting minority insignificant in numbers,
liable to overthrow at any time from inter
nal causes. or from dangerous complica-
lions growing out of the preponderance of
aliens. the situation, in respect to these
islands, in view of the tremendous and far
reaching interests that are involved, is such
as to demand the immediate action of our
government.
We cannot with honor recede from the
protectorate which we have maintained for
more than fifty years, and a continuance of
existing conditions may at any time involve
this country in troubles which could not
arise were the islands to become a part of
our possessions. Our interests as we'll as
our national honor. now demand the an
nexation of the Hawaiian group.