The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-27
SOUTH AND EAST.

While the Australian papers, re-
presenting people who understand
the position of affairs in the Pacific,
and who appreciate what is prac-
ticable in the North Pacific, the
English press of China and Japan
is very eager to defeat any occupa-
ton of the islands by the United
States.
1t is interesting to contrast the
opinions of such papers as the
Sydney Morning Herald, the Mel
bourne Argus and the New Zealand
papers, together with the expressed
views of Premiers Reed and Sutton,
with the Celestial Empire and the
Japan Gazette.
The former papers, which are
satisfied, and even anxious, that
the islands should be occupied by
the United States, represent the
opinion of a people who have made
their homes in the southern hemis-
phere-who expect to bequeath
their homes and the Anglo-Saxon
religion, traditions and form Of
government to their children and
their children's children. The Pre-
miers stand as the representatives
of the best political thought in those
rising Anglo Saxon states men
into whose hands the helm of the
ship Of state has been given, and
who are using all political foresight
to guide that ship through troubled
waters and impending dangers.
The latter papers represent no
such community of free men, build
ing up states upon broad lines for a
glorious future. They represent
the opinions of ephemeral traders
there today and gone tomorrow ;
men who have no other idea than
to make as much money as possible
in given time and then retire to
spend it in the country of their
birth. They have no seeing
statesmen among them guiding the
frail bark of a growing Anglo Saxon
state. and peering with anxious
eyes into the future so as to avoid
all rocks and other perils. They
simply represent commercial in
terest; they do not, as a rule,
trouble to inform themselves of
facts, and they no more appreciate
the building-up OF an Anglo Saxon
state than even Chinaman or a
japanese.
The Celestial Empire, and the
Eastern press in general, agree on
one point-that civilization and the
world in general would be best
served if England would come for
ward and annex the group. They
do not object to annexation, but it
is annexation by the United States
that they object to. In the first
place, the Government of England
has, for many years past, considered
these islands as outside of her
sphere, and has as little intention
or desire to annex them as it has
of annexing Spitzbergen. These
islands are distinctly understood to
be in the sphere of the United States.
In the second place, were these
islands occupied by England it
would, undoubtedly, bring about
European complications. The only
country that can occupy them, in
the interests of western civilization
and avoid European complications,
is the United States.
Senators who visit the East are
likely to have their views of the
Hawaiian question somewhat col
ored by the European jewellers in
China and Japan, but one fancies
that the panacea for Hawaiian ills
offered by the Celestial Empire and
other papers will not be very palate
able to them. The dose may be Of
such character that even Senators
Pettigrew and Thurston may find
their stomachs turned by it. So,
after all, the Asiatic press may do
some good, and nauseate while try
ing to convince.
The contrast between the opinion
of the Anglo Asiatic and the Aus
tralian press is extremely interest
ing. 1t is the contrast practically
presented by the old fable of the ant
and the grasshopper, between the
responsible and the irresponsible,
the thinker and the thoughtless,
the builder of future state and
nation and the mere sojourner in a
strange land. Knowing the cir
cumstances, one understands the
reasons for the divergence of opin-
ion but it does not take a mo-