The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-04-20
PH1LADELrHlA,s MISSION.

Importance of Islands Considered In
sending Her Here.
For some years he resided in San
Francisco as resident director and So
licitor of the Equitable Life Insurance
Company. Mr.. Phillips was a dele
gate to the first Republican convention
in 1856, helping to nominate John c.
Fremont for President. He was also
a delegate to the Republican conven-
tion of 1861 which nominated Lincoln.
In 1871. while on visit TO the United
States, Mr.. Phillips married Miss Mar
garet D., daughter of Hon. James H.
Duncan of HaverhilE
The Washington Star of April I'd
says that Secretary Long is authority
for the statement that the orders of
the flagship Philadelphia TO proceed to
Honolulu have no significance. Also at
the State Department it is said that the
movement has not been requested by
il. as would have been the case had
the threatened trouble between the
Japanese and the Hawaiian Govern
ment entered into the calculations of
the Navy Department The Philadel-
phia is to relieve the Marion. which
only arrived on the station, relieving
the Alert. about two weeks ago. The
reason for the change is said to be a
belief on the part of the Secretary of
the Navy that from the Importance of
Honolulu commercially and otherwise.
the United States should have ship
Of higher class than the Marion sta
toned there. The Marion is one of the
ships of the old navy, but the Phila-
delphia, while modern and powerful
cruiser. is sadly out of condition in
many respects. 1t was the intention of
the department just as soon as the re-
pairs to the Baltimore were completed
to use her TO replace the Philadelphia
as flagship of Pacific station and to
put the latter craft out of commission
and thoroughly renovate her. As for
the Marion. it is coniectured that she
may be sent onward TO Samoa. to show
the United States flag in that quarter
of the globe for the first time in four
years.
Despite these pacific assurances it
is believed that there is a great deal
more significance in the orders 10 the
Philadelphia than the administration
cares to have known by the public at
the present time. In certain circles Il
is taken to mean that the present ad-
ministration is favorably disposed to-
ward the project for the annexation of
the Hawaiian Islands to the United
States, and that the departure of the
Philadelphia is a preliminary step in
that direction. Ii is argued that unless
some action of importance, similar to
that indicated, were in contemplation.
there would be no special object in
replacing an old-fashioned ship of war
at Honolulu with one of the best yes
sells of the modern navy. There is
nothing in the present political stu
alton in Hawaii growing out of the
controversy over the peaceful invasion
of the japanese, ut is said. that would
justify interference by the United
States Government under its existing
friendly relations with Japan and Ha-
waii. Such a course of action as would
prevent the japanese from getting vir-
tual control of the Islands would how
ever. become necessary in the extreme
~ probable event of the conclusion of
treaty of annexation with the Ha-
waiian Republic strong effort is be-
ing made in that direction with every
indication of a successful issue. 1t is
expected that active and vigorous ne
gotiations for the annexation of Ha-
waii viii be pressed by the Hawaiian
Minister and the Annexation Commits
sion now in this city as soon as the
tariff bill is out of the way and the
President and the Secretary of State
are relieved from the present tremen-
dous pressure for Offices