The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-11
ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.
HANDBOOK ISSUED BY HON.
LoRIN A. THURSTON.
Five Very Powerful Reasons Why
Hawaii Should be Annexed co
the United States.

Lorin A. Thurston, ex-Minister from
Hawaii. has issued a Hand BOOK on
the Annexation of Hawaii, OF elgnty-
eight pages, in pamphlet form
The hand book consists OF state
ment of the reasons in favor OF an
nexation; a brief description OF Ha%all,
it's Feople, Government, laws, COM
merce finances, educational systems
and resources; an enumera ton OF LWeh-
ty objections that have been made 10
annexation and reply to each; a d.
gest of the opinions Of American PreS-
idents, Secretaries Of State, Ministers
and military and naval officers; ana
of the Acts Of Congress and OF Ha-
wall concerning American controi or
annexation of Hawaii; copies or the
messages and reports accompanying
the annexation treaties OF 1895 ana
1897, and copies of the three treaties
of annexation of Hawaii negotiated in
1854 1893 and 1897; of the reciprocity
treaty of 1879 and of the Pearl Har-
Dor treaty" of 1887. There are also
four maps showing: % The area in
the Pacific within which Hawaii Is
the only supply station; CD the same
CD a detail map of the eight largest
Hawaiian islands; "a map OF the
Pacific showing the relative position
of Hawaii to, and the distance from,
the principal naval stations and ports.
A summary of the reasons for and
against annexation are as follows:
AMERICAN POLICY TOWARD HA-
WAII.
For two generations the attitude of
the United States toward Hawaii has
been more that OF a brother toward
little sister than the usual formal
treatment accorded other nations.
The reasons are that:
Hawaiian Christianization, civiliza-
ton, commerce. education and develop
ment are the direct product of Ameri-
can effort.
Hawaii is, in every element and quail
ity which enters into the composition
of a modern civilized community,
child of America
Hawaii is the one American colony"
beyond the borders of the Union.
Honolulu is the one foreign port in
the world where the stars and stripes
float over more ships than all other
flags combined.
Out OIL ali InlS mas SFOWn d SeIll-
mental feeling toward Hawaii which
does not measure its regard in dollars,
combined with a recognition of the
strategic value of Hawaii, and the
determination that it should not pass
under the control Of any other foreign
people, resulting in a settled policy of
exclusion of other powers and ultimate
annexation.
E lon
are enumerated, viz:
FIRST REASON IN FAVOR OF AN
NEXATION.
1t viii prevent the establishment of
an alien and possibly hostile strong
hold in position commanding the Pa
cific Coast, and the commerce of the
North Pacific, and definitely and fin
ally secure to the United States the
strategical control of the North Pa
cific, thereby protecting it's Pacific
Coast and commerce from attack.
The claim that Hawaii is no more
necessary to the United States in the
Pacific than the Azores in the Atlantic,
is replied to as follows:
All of the great powers of Europe lie,
or have coaling stations. within steam
ing distance Of the Atlantic Coast of
a coaling station near enough to the
Pacific Coast to be available as a
base Of operations against it.
In The Atlantic there are scores of
islands which can be used as bases
of naval supply and repair while in
the Pacific from the equator to Alaska,
from Japan to the American Continent,
there is but one spot where coal, or
afavs i Al.
is Hawaii.
The Pacific is so wide that naval
ships cannot cross and operate on the
Pacific Coast without recoaling.
The distance from San Francisco to
the nearest naval station of England
is 1900 miles; France 5000; Spain A.
200; Russia 400; Japan 1880 and
China $500 miles.
A country in possession of Hawaii
would have a base of supply and re-
pair within four or five days steam
ing Of any part of the Pacific Coast.
and be a, standing menace to it and it's
commerce.
BY simply keeping other nations out
of Hawaii the United States viii se-
cure almost absolute immunity from
naval attack on its Pacific Coast.
The Importance of Hawaii to the
commerce of the Pacific is demonstrat-
ed by the fact that of the seven trans
Pacific steamship lines plying between
the North American Continent and ia
pan, China and Australia, all but one
make Honolulu a way station
Upon the opening of the Nicaragua
or Panama Canal, practically all of the
shipping bound for Asia, making use
thereof will StOD at Honolulu for coa1
and supplies.
SECOND REASON IN FAVOR OF
ANNEXATION.
The conditions are sucn that the
United States must act now to pre-
serve the results of its past policy, and
no prevent the dominancy in Hawaii of
a foreign people.
Until recently the simple announce
ment by the United States of its policy.