The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-07-15
Sherman with the greatest re

Sherman with the greatest re-
spect.
found Mr.. Davis at his resi-
dence on Massachusetts avenue
and asked at once for some
starting point on the Hawaiian
question.
Take the equator for a divid-
ing line said Mr.. Davis, "and
below it are great numbers of
islands with harbors and all of
them are under the eye of or
preempted by some of the great
Governments. Japan has late
ly taken Formosa from China,
nearly on the latitude of Ha-
wall. That is also the latitude
of Canton, Calcutta and Ha-
vana. It is the line that pas
ses through the Gulf of Mexico
and the mouths of the Indus
and Ganges. It is, in fact, the
Tropic of Cancer that the Ha-
waiian Islands stand upon.
Sixteen hundred miles south
of them is the equator. North
of the equator are only two
groups of Islands with harbors,
the Aleutian Islands, which al
ready belong to us and where
we have surveyed the fine har-
Dor of Kiska, and the Sandwich
Islands. Kiska and Hawaii
are 2,1OO miles apart and each
about that distance from San
Francisco, making an equilat-
eral triangle, for Kiska is about
due north of Honolulu.
"By possessing ourselves of
Hawaii we have the advantage
of a great ocean there unoccu-
pied. England has spent a
great deal of money to make a
harbor, post, and. power of Es-
quimalt, just north of the Unit
ed States"
"What is the distance from
Hawaii to Japan"
NEARLY 1000 miles. l look
only at the question of position.
It outweighs that of territory
or money. The Hawaiian Is
lands are the outpost of the
United States, and for fifty years
we gave notice that nobody
else should have them. Our
delay invited intrusion. Japan
was about to take precedence
when we revived this treaty"
"Has the sugar interest or RI
val sugar interests been seen
interfering?"
II know nothing on that sub
ject. What can sugar have to
do with Islands which already
send their raw sugar here free
under treaty and as our pos
sessions would only continue
to do the same?"
"Do you expect that rival
politics will cause the Demo
cratic party to resist?'
II don't believe it. They were
only indifferently rallied by
Cleveland against the treaty
with all his power. Their vot-
ers were not happy with the
spectacle. There is no politics
in this simple precaution for
national advantage and secur-
ity. AS a citizen of Minnesota,
if 1 favor it on public grounds
when the place is so far away,
why should others not favor it
who are on the front at New
York or San Francisco?'
HAS the old idea of restrict
ing Chinese immigration any
thing to do with resisting the
treaty."
"That may be the ground of
Senator Whites hesitation, but
1t IS a very remote question.
The restriction of Asiatics was
a potent cause of the Govern
ment of the islands desiring
annexation. Japan had start
ed in, it was said, to coolieize
it's subjects there
"But the treaty will not be
pressed upon the extra ses-
sion?" .
Il think not. The hot wealth
er will soon be here. In a few
weeks after it is over Congress
will meet again and have plen-
ty of time. Delay for that per-
iod will not do any harm"
"But are the Hawaiian Is
lands not exposed for the sum
mer and fall to cruel cOntin-
gencies?'
"Hardly."
"Are they in any sense al
ready admitted by the treaty
having been signed?"