Evening star., 1897-04-16
HAWAIPs ANNEXATION
A Travellers View of the Preseut
Situation I'm the Islands.
From the Snrtnrfn,J 6anu,,,ican

Situation fn the Islands.
From the Springfield Republican.
Charles l.. Goodhue. who has lust re-
turned from a six-weeks trip to Honolulu.
Is considerably impressed by the encroa ach-
me1ts of the Japanese and by the obyfous
fear of the people in Honolulu that Japan
Is planning to annex the islands He does
not think that this fear is assumed for the
sake Of hurTying the United States into
annexation. as some have supposed. and
he believes that we ought to get possess
sion Of the islands while they are to he had
freely. instead of waiting till they cannot
be had without fighting for them. The OBJ
5ections to their annexation he considers
very sight in comparison with the adyan-
taSes. In the case of Cuba, which he has
visited half a dozen times, he thinks that
annexation would be unwise because of the
character of the population, a Latin race
speaking foreign tongue But in the
Sandwich Islands the dominating white
population is largely American. English is
the language of business. and American
@ goid ana silver coin is the chief currency.
Ihe inhabitants come of good stock, a
large part being descendants of missionary
FAMILIES. With Anglo-Saxon sense of or
der, they have established an excellent
government. the city Of Honolulu, with a
population of over 2O,OO0 is excellently ad-
ministcred. with efficient police, fine streets.
good gas and electric lighting and the best
OF water works. of which MIR Goodhue is
an expert critic. In short, the islands are
already in condition to be annexed with
out dlfnculty, and In mis- opinion IL II is to
be done at ALL it must be done without too
great delay.
To show the zeal with which the Japan
ese are colonizing the islands, Mr. Good
nue. mentions that just before he arrived
In Honolulu q large number of Jspanese
immigrants had been detected while eyad-
ing the immigration laws and shipped
back, rousing strong animosity among the
large and growing japanese popula tion,
who at once appealed to Japan for redress.
BY the Hawaiian laws each immigrant is
required to s1ow $50 on landing as proof
that he is not pauper. The transporta-
ing immigrants with the needed money as
loan, taking IL back as soon as the inn
migrants are safely landed When the
fraud was discovered a careful inyestiea-
tion was made. and all that could be de-
tected were sent back to their native land.
II was on account of this difficulty that
the Japanese government sent a warship
10 Honolulu. to which the United States
rSsponaed by sending the Philadelphia.
The dispatches explaining the situation
came on the same steamer with Mr. Good
nue., and the Philadelphia was Immediately
ordered to the scene
Ihe Hawaiian government. as he points
OUT, is quite at the mercy of the first ag-
gressor. There are no forts. ships of war
or cannon. and any nation could control IL
with a single man-of-war. 1t is not sur
prising. In view Of the threatening behay.
ior OF Japan, that the islands should de-
sire to get under the wing of a powerful
nation. 1t Is felt in Honolulu that japan
is casting covetous eyes on the islands to
It's east. with view to controlling and mo-
nopolizing the Pacific. One indication of
this is the strong effort that is being made
to get the carrying trade between the
orient and the United States. The great
new japanese line OF steamers which is to
ply between San Francisco and China and
Japan. beginning In May. 1898. 10 likely to
nave things iss own way. X win probably
absorb the Pacific Mail and the Huntington
chartered ships. involving the abandon
men Of the whole steam-carrying trade of
the Pacific BY American ships. The SUBJ
sidy offered by the japanese government
for the extension Of this maritime trade A
% great as to make competition diffcult
mo American or English steamship conn
pany can keep to the ocean In competition
with II. said Capt. w. F. Merry. secretary
OF the San Francisco chamber Of commerce.
recently. With such magnificent projects
in view. the Importance OF the Hawaiian
Islands as the halfway house of the Pa
cidc can readily be imagined.