The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-17

JAPAN THREATENS TROUBLE
MAY PROTEST STRONGLY AGAINST
RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY,
And the 10000 japanese Now on the
Islands May Attempt to over
throw the Republic.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

| Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
| WASHINGTON, June 16.-The Hawaiian
annexation treaty oscillated between
! the White House and Senate cham
| Der from 10 O'Clock this morning
until o'clock this afternoon and
then landed in the custody of the Senate
| which will consider its ratification after
the tariff bill is passed. The administration
was induced to hurry negotiations to a con-
clusion for the double reason that the Pres
! ident's position had TO be understood before
| the sugar schedule could be agreed on and
secondly, because Mr. Mckinley was in
duced to believe that if he did not act
promptly in the latter there was imminent
| danger that the 10000 Japanese residents
of the island would seize possession of the
territory in the name of the imperial gov
| ernment of Japan. 1t was the latter con-
sideration that weighed most heavily at the
| White House and there are still grave ap-
prehensions Of trouble with Japan before
| the matter is fully settled.
The attitude of the Japanese government
| has been fully understood by the admins
| tration, however, and no protest that it
! can make will be allowed to interfere in
any way with the carrying out of the plan
| for the annexation of the islands by the
| United States and the prompt completion
| of the contract between the two govern
ments is a warning to the Japanese to keep
| their hands off, The Hawaiian commits
| sioners have been urging haste in the treaty
negotiations and have furnished abundant
| evidence that it was the purpose of the
| Japanese colonists to attempt to take pos
| sessions of the islands at an early day. The
Japanese government has not confessed
| that it was openly backing this movement,
but very little doubt entertained by
| those conversant with the facts that any
| such seizure would be approved of by the
imperial government, and that the whole
force of the Japanese navy would be en-
ployed to retain possession of the territory
thus acquired.
JAPANESE MAY FIGHT.
Whether the Japanese will abandon their
intentions in regard to Hawaii without
making a warlike demonstration remains
to be seen. The Japanese minister in Wash
ington claims that his people have larger
interests in a material way than either the
existing government or the United States
and the Japanese must be consulted in the
matter. On the other hand, the Washing
ton administration holds that the japanese
have nothing whatever to say in the prem
ises; that the treaty has been negotiated
by the government of Hawaii through it's
officially accredited agents, and that the
United States cannot and will not recognize
any faction of the population of the Hawaii
an Islands. If 80, 1000 Japanese have colonized
on the islands they are there subject to the
laws of the existing government and they
have no say, neither themselves nor their
parent country, as to what the Hawaiian
government may or may not do. Neverthe-
less the situation is cloudy
Japan, ever since the triumph over China.
has been spelling for fight with some CIV
ilized nation and this may afford the COW
eted opportunity. 1t is remembered by
State Department officials that pending the
commission of peace negotiations between
Japan and China and Immediately after the
episode the representatives of the Japanese
government in Washington tread on air.
and were arrogant to an extreme. They
felt that they could thrash the civilized
world and it was apparent from their bear
ing and conversation that they would not
be adverse to trying it on with some good
strong government. They feel the same way
now and are as irritable and full of fight as
a nest of hornets. 1t would not be strange,
in the opinion of diplomats if a Japanese
war furry should not grow out of this af-
fair even though nothing more serious
came of it than VaDoring.
OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE.
1t is certain that the treaty will meet
with strong opposition when it comes up for
confirmation in the Senate. There is one
faction which will contend that in adding
this remote territory to our possessions the
United States will be surrendering the vital
points of the Monroe doctrine and that the
move win be startling and dangerous de-
parture from our established theories in op-
10 ni1a ion mi
Lindsay this afternoon declared that he
would fight the treaty because he thought
there was something strange and possibly
contraband in this annexation scheme. He
voiced a suspicion that the sugar people
of the island were the only ones who would
be benefited and that to protect the rights
of these people our government would be
taking entirely too great risks.
An Associated Press dispatch says: Sena-
tor Kyle, who is one of the most Jealous
of the senatorial advocates of annexation
said to-day that a canvass Of the Senate
Indicated that there were SO votes certain
for annexation. The Constitution requires
a two-thrds vote for the ratification of trea-
ties, making 60 necessary to ratify. Senator
Kyle says: There are fully a dozen senator's
who are doubtful from whom to draw the
five votes necessary to insure confirmation
In their calculations, the friends of the
treaty count upon the solid support of the
Republican senators on account of the fact
that it will be an administration measure
They also expect to have all the Populists
and are hopeful of having all the silver Re
publicans, except Pettigrew. They also
count on a fair sprinkling of Democrats
but they expect to meet their principal op-
position in the Democratic party in the
Senate.
There will be an effort to secure the
prompt report of the treaty from the COM