The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-12-03
Hawai- ard Sca-POMCr.

The constant growth of this republic in all the essential elements Of rowuc
iscauSing in EurI" a 'agu" nu'asn"~, which occasionally finds NoMc in thr
prr., as well as in the utrmncr. of public men OF late the proposed amcNH
ton of the Hawaiian Ilnds To the United States h, been interpreted as a
fairs of the world However hat may be the aDumiSs on the other side Of the
ocean need not fear that this annexation would prove a material addition to our
strength unless at the same time we increase our naval and military establish
mcnt,t to nm extent hitherto untHought of Arrd survey of the situation will
rka we'll known fact that in mr. intercourse with foreign nations e oc
cadonoly say or do things which. if they were said or douc by any other govern
mcnt would lie quickly resented by the powers Interested hit which coming
from this republic ire submitted TO with remarkable mrrku,s We hear some
times If .uu,n growl. aud even Of schemes OF hostile combinations against us
,nt such things regularly pass over without serious consequences and are soon
forgotten We should certainly have no reason to be proud # it if we we're sim.
ply permitted 10 play among the uauoso. the wortI the l1"ubs o a raw youth
whose co"mct, however provoking did not IN fact mean much offence We
should. however GA vdrioa.o vlHonN has, m: With u more r2uutrn and even
drhan, spirit, did not foreign powers STE peculiar reasons for avoiding Il quarrel
with the United States with especial cac. 1t cannot be that they are afraid Of
orr standing army or navy TOT excepting the period of the civil war our mill
tary and naval establishments have never been considerable But Whenever Il
foreign power considers the chances of serious conflict with the United States,
it finds this state of things W. orra people of seventy millions or more INTEL
gent energetic vigorous and intensely patriotic We occupy a part of the
American continent capable If sustaining with its products a much larger popu
l"u"n We have no nriglnorS strong enough to d rs much harm, eve" it they
we're to become hostile We are in some respects the richest nation in the world
with vast resources still untouched and would therefore in Il conflict hayeo very
superior staying power IT a great laval force attacked MS today mIrpaed
as we are, it might lombard some Of our scabarl towns myaEe some Of our
coasts nud sweep our merchant fleet oil the sea. Such haravmcnts would by no
means disable " ~ They would only fire the temper of onr people aud excite
them to greater efforts 1t would soon become evident that the enemy could not
strike Mt n vital point. He could not tt ioouod on any important part of
our continent and keep it, for on land the immense superiority of cur forces
would quickly oycrwhclm him In order to take aud hold any valuable point
OF ~ territory he wonld have To fight where we are strongest He could there
fore not expect to achieve through hssonrnor readiness at the, beginning OF
the war II quick success of Importance sufficiently great to give him Il lasting
advantage that might he of decisive benefit to him in the eventual peace arrange
ments
Thus n war with the United states must under present circumstances or.
pea to torign powers as one III winch INHk GtciSuAS cannot lc achieved aye.
in which not ever advantages of great consequence AN quickly be won: in
other words a wa of resources in luen, material and money u long and ex
haustive var in which the power capable oil holding ont the Longest will have
y far the best chance of final success, Aud during such Il long war not only
would the enemyS maritime commerce suffer its STARE too but he would also be
he exposed to the probability of untrcndy neghtors riang the opportunity
presented hy hi. endorsements to kindic "A fire in his rear in cooper ,un with
us n consideration which the jalousiS existing between European nations
make a very cogcnt one Itis no wonder that, under such circumstances, Euro
pen powers not only do not seek qwarrls with this republic, but rather 20 to the
extreme of public fobearance TO avoid them, and nothing could be more prppos,
ferrous than the hystrical outcneso of our Jingoes that foreign enemies re %
stanly lurking na ambush to insult our flag, or to deprive us of our rights OF to
interfere with on commerce and that we "a battle them only by standing
SeephSsy on guard. armed to the teeth
How would the annexation Of Hawaii affect this situation? 1t could not
make us NOR secure than we III now. 1t would rather be APT to present to hos
tile power a vulnerable point which we do not now present and the absence Of
which IS dscouaging to he foreigner who may wish i'll tous The Hawai-
i'm Islands are . 0Wmics distant frm sur nearest, coast, II we acquire them,